Griever Chronicles: Zell
by Larathia
Summary: Laguna has been assassinated, and Zell almost joins him. The SeeD are hired to investigate. And what happened to Zell after he accepted Griever's junction...(sequel to Griever, COMPLETED)
1. Run Down

_(Thanks are owed to ArchMageMagus of FFML, and Fujin Fujiryuu of Omega Fantasy for encouragement. Square owns everything, I own nada, etc. etc...)_

Laguna was dead. 

So they had told him, and he had to believe. Zell didn't really remember much about the last few days himself. Apparently shock could do that. It might also be responsible for the fact that he wasn't feeling much in the way of grief at the moment. He wasn't feeling much of anything, even pain. Idly he cast his eyes around the infirmary – yep, painkillers. Lots and lots of painkillers. 

The doctors said it was a miracle Zell had survived. Spaced out as he was, Zell could only chuckle helplessly. _No miracle at all, guys. Just a handy GF._ But he didn't say anything. If there was one thing recent events had taught him, it was when and how to hold his tongue. But he couldn't help laughing. _Didja hear that, guys? A miracle, they call it._

**Go to sleep, Zell,** growled a deep feline threefold voice in the back of his mind, sounding slightly exasperated. **You'll bleed to death if you keep laughing**. 

_Ah, screw it, _thought Zell, and laid back on the infirmary bed. With the painkillers in his system he fell asleep almost at once. 

* * * * * * *

A week later, Zell was well enough to be released from the Infirmary – though on a provisional basis. He wasn't allowed to do any more than the minimum necessary to restore his health, and he wasn't to entertain any visitors until the wounds in his stomach were past the danger of reopening. It wasn't merely his injuries that slowed his step and kept the smile from his face, though, or the fact that the few people who were his friends weren't allowed to see him. He was awake enough to remember what had put him here – back within the walls of Garden. And of course, the very first thing he had to do was go and make a report to Xu about it. 

So, being the good SeeD that he was, he headed for the Commander's office. It was one of the innovations of the past ten years that there _was_ a Commander's office. Since the Headmaster had an office on the third floor, and the Garden Master's offices were in the lower level, they'd built the Commander's office in the center of the Ringway on the main floor. At least this meant that injured SeeDs who had to make reports would not need to navigate any stairs to do so. 

He poked his head around the door to find Xu at her desk, working on some report. She raised her head and smiled as she saw Zell. "Come in," she said. "I've been wondering when Kadowaki would release you." 

"Um, this morning, actually," said Zell. "I'm hoping to get this over with and get gone before trouble starts." He seemed unusually subdued, especially given his buoyant nature. 

Xu eyed him sympathetically. "Seifer's gotten a lot better since he made SeeD," she said, knowing what was bothering him. "Quistis managed to whip him into shape pretty fast, and I've actually never had any trouble with him. He's not the man you knew, Zell. Not since..." 

She didn't need to finish it; Zell knew what the official report was - he'd made that himself. _Not since Squall died._ Which was not exactly true, but true enough to hurt. He nodded in acceptance of that, and let Xu interpret it however she would. Zell would trust Seifer the day he not only received word of Seifer's death, but actually had poked the body with a sharp stick to be sure it was really dead. 

"Well, Zell...you've been on assignment for ten years. I'm sure you have a lot to tell me about the situation in Esthar." 

Zell shook his head. "The Palace was insulated from the rest of Esthar, Xu, but not _that_ insulated. There is no unrest in Esthar - or at least, there wasn't until now. Whoever went after Laguna was out to start a war, not a revolution." 

Xu raised one dark eyebrow in query. "If Laguna was as loved as you say, who shot him?" 

Zell took a deep breath to steady himself. How to say it? "...I don't know," he admitted. "There was no warning, none of my contacts anywhere had a clue. He was making a speech and I saw someone moving for him. I got in the way, and I took the bullet..." he looked at the floor, miserable. "But the guy had lots more bullets. I just caught the first ten or so." 

Xu tapped a document on her desk. "Official autopsy reports say Laguna was shot by roughly two dozen bullets. Estimates suggest he was dead by the fifth. This is not the action of a revolutionary, Zell. This was _personal_. Surely you must have some idea who would have hated President Loire so much?" 

Zell's expression became deadly serious, an almost-frown giving his tattooed face a nearly demonic look. "Nobody hated Laguna, Xu," he said flatly. "Laguna was the hero of Esthar, everybody loved him. He sealed away Adel, helped to save the world...everybody _loved_ him. You want my official report, my guess is this was an outside job - someone wanted to _create_ unrest in Esthar. Shooting Laguna would be the easiest way." 

He didn't tell Xu that the Guardian Force looking out from his eyes had not recognized the gunman, guaranteeing that the assailant had had no contact with Laguna in at least the past ten years. Zell had learned a lot about Guardian Forces in the last decade, but wasn't planning on sharing any of it. Particularly not with someone who had used Guardian Forces as executioners. 

Xu made a notation on her report, then looked up. "All right, Zell. You're the one who was there, we'll exhaust your leads first. Go rest up, and I'll see what SeeD can uncover. You've still got your old room." 

Zell stood up - carefully - and saluted, then turned on his heel and left. _What do you think?_ he asked the voice in the back of his mind, as he wended his way slowly to the cafeteria. He'd missed the hot dogs something terrible. 

**We think you are being watched,** came the reply. **You healed very quickly for someone without a GF.**

_And just whose fault is that?_ Zell joked, but quickly sobered up. _Damn, I hate this sneaking around. But I owe you guys my life - that gunman would've had me sure without you. Do you think Xu's theory holds water?_

**No. This was meant to look like a personal attack - but the intention was to make very certain that you and Laguna were dead.**

_Me? Why me? - And aren't you the least bit upset about Laguna?_

But the Guardian Force refused to answer that, as so often happened when Zell asked about Laguna. He'd gotten used to the very active presence of Griever in his mind since the day he'd taken the new Guardian Force's hand ten years ago...but sometimes Zell was forcibly reminded that half of Griever was Squall. And Squall got very close-mouthed when questioned about Laguna or any other matter he considered personal. 

Zell decided to drop the subject and just grab some food. He'd kept in constant touch with Bella, and she'd come to see him whenever she could wrangle leave, so he decided to hang around the Cafeteria in hopes of seeing her. Perhaps he could get an assignment with her or near her, this time. He picked up a surge of - encouragement? - from the back of his mind. He smiled; that had to be Rinoa's influence talking. 

He had turned in all his Guardian Forces on receiving assignment as Laguna's bodyguard, even Quezalcoatl. At the time it had seemed prudent; Griever was a new Guardian Force, and needed the space. Over time, Zell had come to realize he didn't actually _need_ any other GFs. Griever did not confer any abilities, as such - he couldn't use powers like Treatment, Revive, or Card. But it _did_ enhance Zell's physical prowess in every respect - something no other GF did. And of course, just sometimes, Griever would manifest on its own, in the manner of Odin or Gilgamesh. Zell had never tried to summon Griever. Somehow, he had never felt it to be his place to try. To Zell, Griever was still Squall and Rinoa - and you didn't treat your friends like servants. He felt this way even though the 'personal' communications - the ones he could specifically identify as being from Squall or Rinoa - had decreased over the years, with just the feline voice of Griever taking their place. 

No luck at the Cafeteria, neither Bella nor hot dogs were in evidence. He grabbed some sandwiches and a soda, and headed back for the Dormitory, where he was technically under bed rest until a medic cleared him. If his friends were going to come looking for him, that's where they'd go. 

His room was exactly as he'd left it - a mess. Zell at twenty-seven was a lot neater than Zell at seventeen, somewhat in self-defense. The servants in the Presidential Palace had reacted to Zell's habitual chaos by rearranging his room neatly in a completely different pattern every day, until Zell got into the habit of keeping things in order just so he could find them again. He carefully collected the combat magazines scattered over his desktop and stacked them - it had been a long time since he'd gotten to read them. But what he wanted was access to his private console, where any messages that might have accrued would be waiting for him. These messages would not have been transmitted over receivers; any messages bearing a privacy lock could only be read in a SeeD's personal quarters. Zell had been away much longer than any other SeeD; usually the longest sojourn was six months to a year. 

His console reflected that. There were indeed messages waiting for him. Most were assignment requests; other SeeDs asking Zell if he would join them on a mission. These, he deleted. Anyone that would send him a message without checking to see if he was already assigned was just being an ass. He did leave the ones that had been sent this week alone; he had no intention of staying in Garden longer than he had to. But what interested him were the personal letters from his friends, left against the day of his return.   


_Dear Zell:_   
_I'm leaving you this now, so that no matter when you return it'll be waiting for you. I can guess at your reasons for wanting to take an extended leave of absence - and we both know that's what you're on, no matter what the assignment ledger says. All I can say is, I did what I felt had to be done. Mikhal had stolen a Guardian Force and handed it over to be experimented upon; I can't think of anything more dangerous short of handing over the SeeD code book to a Sorceress. I was angry at you, of course - I had hoped we could keep the matter private. But I am not still angry. I hope that now you have had some time away, you will be willing to be friends again. If you are, look me up anytime._   
_Quistis._   
_Addendum: Will you tell me what happened to Squall and Rinoa?_

_Hey, Zell:_   
_Just a few filler notes to make your joyous homecoming complete. You are not gonna believe this; Seifer has completely refrained from breaking anybody's neck. I don't know why, and neither does anyone else. He passed his field exam with flying colors - good thing for him, I guess, since it was his last chance; Quistis bent the age limit rules to give him just one go, wish I knew why she bothered. I can't help being jealous of you though, Esthar is a sweet assignment, and sweeter without having to deal with the posse - who are just as big a set of pain-in-the-asses as they always were. I hear you were the one who reported Squall and Rinoa dead...the rumor mill is completely silent on this one, so expect me to grill you when you get back._   
_Irvine_

_Zell!_   
_I'm really busy now, and probably will still be busy when you get back, but don't worry - I've got standing orders that the day you're back (and given a clean bill of health to make sure you can enjoy it) there's gonna be a big party in the Caf - and I'll talk to you then._   
_Selphie_

_Beloved Zell:_   
_I'm leaving you this as a contingency; if I get back before you access your console it'll be deleted. I've been offered an assignment in Galbadia and I've accepted. I've left other contingency messages here for you also; if I am not back inside three days of your receipt of this, you will receive a copy of my mission parameters and an offer to come along. I knew you'd want to, scoundrel. Love you._   
_Bella_

But what really stung Zell was the last one; a message bearing Squall's privacy-lock. He leaned back, not sure if it was something he'd want to see. Squall...in a very real sense, Squall was dead. It didn't matter much that he'd wanted it that way, and it didn't seem the same to only occasionally hear Squall's voice in his thoughts - even though he knew the others would probably envy him that. Zell would never fight beside Squall again; that was sometimes all that mattered. Still...there was a curiosity as to what Squall would tell him in a message that he would not say as Griever. He keyed in the authorization to open it. 

_Zell:_   
_If you're reading this, then you're wondering why you're reading it. I coded this so you would only see it if you returned to Garden before I did. Right now, the Leviathan is still in my system. You know, in reading this, how that turns out, so I'm going to leave you with a series of ifs._   
_If the Leviathan should kill me, guard Rinoa. Get her out of Garden if you can, get her as far away as you can. And try to find a Knight worthy of her; you have Bella, so I won't ask you._   
_If I live, and you're reading this, I have left Garden for good. Since you seem to think you needed it, I'll tell you now - don't worry about Seifer. If I've done this right then he shouldn't be a threat to you or anyone else in Garden. If I haven't - then don't let him goad you. Nothing pisses Seifer off like someone he can't jerk around._   
_There is a third option. I don't know how that would turn out, but you'll know it if you see it happen. If that third option should occur, tell no one. Not Xu, not your friends, no one. And if it is given to you...you'll know then what to do._   
_Squall_

Zell leaned back. The 'third option' could only be becoming Griever. How far back had Squall known that possibility? And yet, things hadn't happened quite the way Squall had foreseen. Leviathan hadn't killed him, but he'd become Griever anyway. It must have been an incredible pull, to draw Squall away from what he had seen as logical conclusions. He'd never asked _why_ the two of them had wanted to join again, given the risk. Maybe he should, if he could just think of a polite way to phrase the question. It sounded suspiciously like one of that category that habitually got ignored. 

He ate his lunch in silence, mental as well as verbal. At that moment, he really missed Laguna; the two had become good friends over the years. Kiros and Ward did not have SeeD privacy locks, and so when he'd recovered he'd been handed small envelopes from them. One of them was suspiciously heavy; he didn't want to think about that yet. Nor could he help feeling a tad bit resentful; Squall's old message had simply heightened the loss of Laguna. It was as though he were being reminded that everyone he'd gotten to be friends with was gone. 

_Not that you're inclined to say anything,_ Zell thought to the force in his mind. _Damn - he was your dad, he did everything you wanted, and not a word that he's gone?_

To his surprise, Squall - just Squall - answered. _It's a bit hard to grieve for the man when he's been talking my ear off for the past four days, Zell, _ came the acerbic response._ You're forgetting that Rinoa and I are in eternity - which is where he showed up, same as everyone else does when they die. Even Raine can't shut him up for long._

Zell couldn't help it; he laughed, though it threatened to pop the stitches in his stomach. Squall was right, he had forgotten that. Heartened, he opened the last of his messages, stretching out on his old bunk. Having eaten and walked a good way around Garden, he was just about ready for a nap. He hoped he could get back to normal soon; the sedentary life would drive him crazy. 

_Zell:_   
_We had to send you back to Garden; your contract was worded so that it expired when Laguna died. Ward and I are getting out of town; chances are good that the next administration will want a clean slate, and in any case we don't want to hang around here without Laguna. If you need us, look for us in Timber._   
_The other envelope is something Laguna prepared for you against this day. Don't ask me what's in it - you probably have a better idea than I do. Look forward to sparring with you again sometime._   
_Kiros._

A clean slate? Well, Laguna _had_ run Esthar for somewhere near thirty years in almost complete peace. Tough act to follow. It made him wonder again who that gunman had been, and what he'd hoped to achieve. Even given Squall's testy response to Laguna's death, though, Zell felt hesitant opening the last envelope. When he did, as he expected, the heavy platinum weight of the Griever ring landed in his palm. There was a message with it, scrawled in Laguna's flowing script:   


_Zell:_   
_If you're reading this, then I am dead. I hope you aren't too upset about that, even if it was something that - were you a god or something - you might have been able to do something about. I think I know you well enough by now to know that if I went down, you probably almost went down with me. You SeeDs do take your duties very seriously._   
_I'll take this chance to talk your ear off one last time, since from here on in you'll be the one doing all the talking. It was fun having you around, and entertaining to say the least when you knocked Kiros to the mat. But most of all I am grateful for the stories you were willing to share with me about your life with my son. I know that he can speak to you through the Griever junction, but all I was ever able to hear was muted. I'll get to that in a second. I want you to know that I'm glad to have gotten to know you, and I wish I could do more to repay you than I have. SeeD should be letting you know about a hefty bonus for your work - I've willed you half of what I accrued over the years, the other half going to Ellone, who I believe will return to Winhill. So she's told me, anyway. I'd have adopted you if you weren't already, but I guess we'll just settle for being friends, huh?_   
_Now - about the ring, which I instructed to be placed with this note for you if you should survive me. (If it isn't there, talk to Kiros.) I know what it is to you - a memento of Squall, and perhaps by now of me. But it's a lot more than that, Zell, and now it's your turn. The ring is a Sorceress' token, Zell. If you should die while junctioned to Griever, Griever will return to this ring until someone wears it. It is therefore vital that it be kept in a safe place. So Squall told me before he entered the Joining, and I am not going to argue with him._   
_It has another power too, though, Zell. It was because of this power that I wore it. Anyone who wears this ring can be seen and heard by those in eternity. I don't know at this writing whether Guardian Forces reside in eternity, though I am looking forward to finding out. But it is certain that those who have died reside there. I wore the ring so that I could speak with Raine, and she with me. I wish I could say that I spoke with Squall, but I can't be sure of my intuition on that part so perhaps I just spoke _at _him. Wouldn't be the first time, I'm sure._   
_Whether you choose to wear the ring or not is up to you, Zell. But you must make sure the ring is not lost, and that it remains behind if you go on a mission. Choose a successor, Zell. Find a SeeD you trust, and make sure they get the ring if something happens to you. And don't go on a mission alone if you can help it; from what Squall told me, I believe if Griever returns to this ring - meaning that you have died while junctioned to it - then the next person to wear the ring will have to _fight_ Griever. It's much safer all around to have a partner you can pass the junction on to. I don't want to see you in eternity sooner than absolutely necessary, all right? If you want to talk to me, just wear Griever and ask for me. And as my son once told me, 'listen inside for the answers'._   
_Laguna_

Zell held the ring in his palm. He couldn't wear it. Not here, not in Garden - not while Quistis, Selphie, and Xu ran the place. Squall had worn it under his gloves, or on a chain under his shirt, for almost all his life - so it wasn't that well known, not like his Lionheart pendant or gunblade. But the orphanage gang would know it on sight, and ask questions Zell was pretty sure he wouldn't want to answer. Like what really happened to Squall and Rinoa - which they were probably going to ask him anyway, as soon as he got a clean bill of health. He looked around the chaos that was his room, finally locating a small box that would hold the ring. Putting it inside, he stuffed the box under his mattress. 

**Interesting approach to 'put it in a safe place', Zell**, came the feline voice of Griever in his thoughts. 

"Oh, shut up, will you?" growled Zell. "It's been a long day." And with that he plunked down on the mattress and drifted off to sleep, heedless of the dust on his blankets or the magazines on his bed.   



	2. In My Room

A heavy pounding on his door jerked Zell bolt upright, scattering combat magazines and nearly tumbling him off his bunk. The sudden movement sparked blue-white pain behind his eyes; that gunman hadn't been using little bullets. He had a nasty suspicion who his visitor was before he opened the door - only one jackass in the known universe would pound on a convalescent's door like that - and so he tried to heed Squall's advice and not let it rattle him, no matter _how_ badly he wanted to knock Seifer into next week. 

So when he greeted Seifer at his door, it was gracefully and with a smile on his face. "Heya Seifer," he said carefully. "What brings you here?" 

Seifer leaned back against the hall walls, evidently not expecting civility. "Life's been good to you, Chicken-Wuss," he said casually, but there was an unnerving clarity to his cat-green gaze. "Didn't expect the Infirmary to let you go for another week at least." 

"I heal fast - at least, fast enough for them to put me on bed rest, which if you're just visiting I'd like to get back to. No visitors until I'm cleared, you know." 

Damn, he must have let his temper show - Seifer's characteristic smirk was back in place. "You're an idiot, if you think I'll buy that line of tripe," Seifer said in a dangerously calm tone, "But I'll understand if you don't want to talk about it in the hall." He walked past Zell, into his room. "So I'll just pick a pile of dusty wreckage, and you can tell me _all_ the things you didn't put in your official report." 

_Holy shit,_ Zell thought frantically. _All right guys, help!_

**He knows already,** came Griever's voice in his mind. ** But he does not know how different we are.**

_Big honkin' pile of help you are,_ snapped Zell mentally, as he plunked himself back down on his bed - sitting up, as he didn't trust Seifer to be in any way civil or polite when there were no witnesses. Seifer simply picked a random pile and sat on it, still watching Zell with that too-knowing gaze. 

"So what do you think I know, Seifer?" Zell asked, never very good at subterfuge. 

Seifer's blond eyebrows went into his hairline at the direct question. "And here I thought you might have picked up a few tricks working for a political leader," said Seifer. "Once again I overestimate you." 

Zell fought to keep his expression neutral, but there was something about Seifer that just pushed his buttons. "Just get to the point, Seifer," he snapped. "I was having a good nap before you decided to hand me a migraine." 

To his surprise, Seifer backed off. "Oh yeah, forgot you volunteered for target practice," he said. "All right - where's the Guardian Force?" 

"Haven't had one assigned to me since before Esthar," Zell answered honestly. "And if one's gone missing you can believe it wasn't me." 

"Don't make me regret being nice to you," Seifer said, dangerously calm. "Squall knew what Knights could do - and I heard reports about Odine's lab. And then he and Rinoa just suddenly die in a monster attack? Neither one was so lousy at fighting to become monster bait. You could at least have come up with a better death story. I'm not the only one that didn't buy that. So, I ask again - where is the Guardian Force?" 

Zell eyed Seifer. There wasn't a chance in hell he could take Seifer on, not this soon after being shot. On the other hand, he wasn't going to hand over Griever - and Seifer wouldn't risk killing him if he didn't know where the ring was...would he? _Does he know about the ring guys?_

There was a pause that was just long enough to make Seifer shift impatiently. **We don't think he knows about the ring**, came the response. 

_Great,_ thought Zell. Oh well. "I have it," he said at last, and Seifer nodded slowly. 

"Don't worry, Chicken-Wuss," he said, "I'm not here to take it from you. At least not while you're bright enough not to lie to me." He stood up, white trench coat swirling as he moved to loom over Zell, cat-green eyes boring into sky-blue. "But I don't do favors for free. That bastard's got the answer to a question I want, and you are going to convince him to talk to me, or I am going to put you back in the Infirmary with one hell of a relapse." 

Zell sighed. Back in Garden and mobile for less than twenty-four hours, and already he was in the middle of a Seifer/Squall quarrel. Squall being dead didn't seem to make any difference. 

"What makes you think Griever will talk to you?" he asked at last. "Had any chats with Cerberus lately?" 

Seifer gave Zell one punch, right in the stomach - where half his bandages were. Even pulled, it was enough to leave Zell gasping and trying to clear the spots from his vision. "Listen - Zell," he said. "I am not an idiot, and I've spent the last ten years learning a lot about Guardian Forces. Completely legally, too. Seems Xu's afraid of them these days. Add to that the stuff I picked up as a Sorceress' Knight, and you can guess that I'm not making any requests that your convalescing self can't handle. Now - either he talks to me, or you don't talk to _anybody_." 

Zell felt a surge of emotion coming from the back of his mind, but couldn't really focus on it while he was trying to force himself to breathe. Given the current situation, he could only think that Griever was going to come to his defense - which would mean Seifer's permanent disappearance if he was lucky, or lots of Seifer-bits added to the chaos of his room if he wasn't. Not that he'd regret that, as such - but he didn't feel like finding out if Xu had adopted the court-martial. Seifer was SeeD now, after all. 

So he gasped out, "Ask your damn questions, Seifer," and hoped Griever would stay put. 

Seifer re-settled himself on his pile, and said, "You want to play medium? All right - but I want to hear from Squall. I hear any Dincht commentary and you are in deep shit, you got me?" 

"Just ask the damn questions, Seifer," growled Zell, still trying to breathe. "I know better than to get between the two of you when you want to wrestle." _And you _are _going to answer him, Squall, _Zell thought angrily. _I'll hand you over to him rather than get in the middle of one of your fights, friend or no friend._ He felt another surge of emotion, that felt like indignation through the pain of the punch. Trust Seifer to know exactly where to land a punch on a convalescent. 

_Nobody dies for me,_ came Squall's voice in his thoughts, annoyed. Amazing, that. This was the most he'd heard from Squall by himself in years. Perhaps Seifer knew Squall's buttons, too... 

Seifer smirked and waited until Zell could unbend from the punch without gasping, and was lying down on his bed again. "All right, Squall," he said. "What's your game, pulling this shit? Reports said you were fine after the lab. And Chicken-wuss here just called you Griever, and that was Ultimecia's GF. I've held my end up here, now you're going to tell me what I gave up. All of it." 

"You wouldn't like it, Seifer," came Squall's voice - rather to Zell's surprise, out of Zell's own mouth. "You never planned on loving your Sorceress." 

Seifer's eyes widened. "So, you can talk. And by the look on Dincht's face, you haven't bothered to before now. What the hell difference does love make to it, anyway? It's a merging of minds, so the stronger mind wins control." 

"No, Seifer," came the voice again, this time sounding a little amused, a little sad. "Joining is two becoming one. Not two halves together, _one_." 

"Then tell me why you can talk to me, and why you're Griever and not some pretty dove or something." 

"Who said I was?" came Squall's voice, now clearly amused. "And our shape is what our two minds together decided on. Rinoa happened to like it as much as I did, that's all." 

This was not the answer Seifer had evidently expected; his eyes narrowed. "When both of you knew about Griever and it serving Ultimecia, you just _happened_ to decide on that shape together. Bullshit - neither one of you is that stupid." 

"Seifer," said Squall slowly, "The benefits outweighed the risks _if_ we can grow strong enough to save the SeeD of Ultimecia's time." An echo entered his voice as he spoke, as though he and Rinoa were speaking in unison. "And the benefits are not something you would understand." 

"Being just a mere mortal, I take it," said Seifer, but he'd noted the growing echo. "Thought you liked being alone." 

"Apart is not being** alone**," came the echoed voice, and a feline voice entered on the last word, a feline voice that echoed with power. "**And it does depend on the company you keep.**" 

Seifer considered this - the fact that Squall was not truly in charge of the Guardian Force being evident in the exchange. Eventually, he nodded. "I think I might have the better end of the deal after all," he said at last. "All right, I'll keep your secret. But I get to choose your successor." 

**"So long as your choice is SeeD and active outside of Garden,"** came Griever's voice, feline-male-female completely inscrutable. 

"Done," said Seifer. "Shit, hundreds of years with Rinoa in your head..." Seifer scowled. "Heh, I probably owe you for the rescue." He got up and leaned over Zell. "All right, Zell, enjoy your nap. I'll introduce you to your partner when you're officially cleared." 

"Sure," mumbled Zell in his own voice again, as he slowly drifted back into sleep. He thought he could hear echoes of an odd chuckle as he slowly passed out. 

* * * * * *

By the time Zell was officially cleared for visitors - about a week later - his dorm room was absolutely spotless. He knew he was supposed to be resting quietly, maybe reading a magazine or two between naps, but he just couldn't stand it. The medics knew it too, as the chaos gradually organized itself between their daily visits, but said nothing. They knew that Zell had to be able to move; hence his confinement to quarters rather than a more prudent stay in Garden's Infirmary. 

His only chatting partner was Griever, who wasn't feeling all that talkative apparently. Zell felt keenly the loss of Laguna; the two of them had more than once had talks that lasted until dawn - or until Kiros or Ward pointedly reminded Laguna of an early meeting. Laguna had been a very comfortable person to be around; he'd made his friends feel like they could talk about anything at all. The only person who had ever been uncomfortable around the President of Esthar was Squall. It was amazing to Zell that the two were related, though they did have one thing in common. They both inspired a fanatical loyalty. Even though his last letter had gently teased Zell not to mourn or worry, Zell was still tempted to put Griever on to tell Laguna he was sorry he hadn't been able to save him. 

So Zell kept up a running monologue as he cleaned, the invitation open for Griever to put in a comment here or there if it so desired. Generally, it didn't - and when it did, Zell thought he could detect Rinoa's sympathetic influence in the purred words. 

He was just finishing organizing his combat magazines when there was a gentle knock at his door. Checking the wall clock, he realized he'd been free to go for a few hours now - so this was probably one of his friends. Cautiously he opened the door enough to peek out; if it was Seifer being subtle, he wanted to be able to shut the door fast. He was very relieved to find out his visitor was Irvine. 

"Hey man," he said, tipping his hat with a grin. "We'd'a bugged you sooner, only Kadowaki said she'd have our ears." He peeked around the room. "And by the look of it, she'll probably have yours. When did you become a neat freak?" 

Zell laughed. "Since Laguna's servants kept screwing with my mess, Irvine. Give me time, I'll get out of the habit eventually. C'mon in." 

Irvine hadn't changed his style much, still in his habitual western-style gear and ponytail. He swished into the room and took a seat on the chair, eyeing Zell critically. "You look pretty good, given the shape you were in when you got here. I thought the medics were nuts to let you loose in your room so soon, but it looks like they were right." 

Zell shrugged. "I kept busy in Esthar, and I don't remember the condition I was in when I got here. How _did_ I get back, anyway? Last thing I remember, the gunman'd perforated me, and I heard Laguna yelp..." He'd probably hear that startled yelp in his dreams for a while, too. Irvine gripped his shoulder in sympathy. 

"S'okay, man. You probably would've won a whole string of medals if you'd been military for the hits you took. The guy in question had a fully automatic repeater, and he emptied his clip into you two. You were actually in IC in Esthar for a day or so, until they were sure they could move you. By that time, o'course, everybody knew Laguna was dead, and that meant your contract was up. So I came and got ya in the Ragnarok. Man, you looked like wax-papered hamburger, you were so beat up. You were in the Infirmary for oh, about four more days before they let you loose in here." He leaned his chair back and stared up at his friend. 

"Now...you weren't issued a GF for bodyguard duty, and you're up and about from near death in a week-and-five. S'posin' you tell me just how you pulled that off? Nobody's complaining you're alive, you know. It's just that's a good trick to have, in SeeD." 

Zell jumped onto his bed and assumed his favorite thinking position - which was on his back, with his legs flatly vertical against the wall. From this upside-down position, his hair looked like it was merely obeying gravity as he regarded Irvine. 

"Irv, you here in any sort of official capacity?" he asked. "I mean, like Garden Master's eyes-and-ears, or anything like that?" 

Irvine crossed his arms over his chest, his face almost obscured by his hat as he bowed his head. "I don't keep secrets from Sefie, if that's what ya mean," he said. "But we're all friends, right? You come across something in Esthar you wouldn't share with us?" 

Zell caught a whiff of surprise from Griever as Irvine mentioned Selphie, but nothing more substantive. Since he'd already been proven a lousy liar, he opted for honesty. "I don't know, Irv," he said slowly. "After all the stuff that went down here, I'm not sure I should hang around any longer than I have to." 

"Hyne, you're grim today," said Irvine lightly. "I'd never have thought being shot would take you down so far. Look - you're going to have to spill the beans sooner or later. We're your friends - we're just too damn nosy to leave off, you know? And you've been gone a helluva long time. What say I just fill you in on the local scene, and you can keep your secrets until you can tell everyone at once, ok? Fewer repetitions that way." 

Zell stretched, catlike, up the wall - until he was almost in a handstand. "Sure," he said. "Fire away - oh, wait. Selphie left me a message about a standing order for a party?" 

Irvine laughed at the picture Zell made, upside down against the wall. "Yeah, she's been itching for an excuse to throw one. Managing Garden's finances is not what you'd call Sef's idea of excitement. I'm just supposed to keep you busy until tonight. Even brought lunch with me." And he produced a small basket, hidden under his long coat. 

"Nah, I'm good to go for now," demurred Zell. "Come on - tell me about Garden, and why the hell you're still here when King Pain-in-the-Ass is wandering the dorms." 

"By the Brother's beards, you're just never going to leave Seifer alone, are you?" asked Irvine wonderingly. "He's been pretty well behaved, considering it's him. Hasn't caused any trouble at all." 

Zell scowled, which looked rather odd considering his upside-down posture. "Use your head. He hasn't caused any trouble _where you can see it_. Bastard already said hello a few days ago, nearly put me back in the Infirmary. Don't ask me to play nice around him, it ain't gonna happen." 

Irvine leaned back. "That so? I do know the security cameras for the dorms went out for a while a few days ago, but we thought it was just another cadet trying to sneak a date into his room. All right, I'll use your phrase; as far as we can tell, he's been okay. And he hasn't given any of the gang any grief, apart from you apparently. Seems odd he'd ruin his good record just to rough you up though. What'd he want?" 

Damn. "Same thing you just asked me," Zell admitted. "Wanted to know how I got out of the Infirmary so fast." _You could have healed me a _little_ slower, you know,_ he thought at Griever. _Now everybody's curious. I'm gonna have to tell 'em, there's no real way around it.___

**Then do so,** came the calm reply. **But as to healing you - would you rather have died? I'm sure it can be arranged if that's what you'd honestly prefer. Laguna would love to have your company.** Around the teasing words Zell could detect a genuine concern; Griever had healed him because it cared about him, and hadn't bothered much with worrying about the consequences.****

_Smart-ass_, Zell shot back, though without real rancor, then returned his attention to Irvine, who was watching him intently. 

"Yeah, I can see Seifer wanting to know that," said Irvine. "Everybody does. Oh, yeah - he's gotten real buddy-buddy with Xu since he made SeeD. She's had him researching GFs, to make sure they're not a danger to SeeDs. Nobody's been allowed to junction since the execution."  
  
Zell's eyebrows went up, which meant they were almost lost in the blankets of his bed. "Researching GFs? You mean like Alicia and Odine? I saw the way those two ended up, man, same as you. Not a field I'd go into, myself." 

"No, not like Alicia and Odine. Nobody's summoned a GF or done anything to 'em. They're all...wherever they go. No, she's had Seifer reading books and asking questions. He's asked enough questions by now that if he had answers to half of them he'd be an expert on the things." 

"They're not things," Zell replied automatically, then grimaced. This keeping secrets thing was harder than it looked. His slip was confirmed when Irvine tipped his hat, grinning. 

"All right," said Irvine. "You're awfully touchy about GFs. Where'd you find the one you have? We thought we had them all." 

Zell sighed. No way out now. "Can that wait till tonight, since you won't keep a secret and I apparently can't? If I have to spill the story, I'd rather just do it once. But...if you can....could you keep Xu and Seifer away? Just...just friends, all right?" 

Irvine nodded. "All right. Just friends," he agreed. 

**Why not Seifer?** asked Griever. **He already knows, after all, and excluding him will just make him come back here. Unless you're planning on having us tear him to shreds?**

_Not Seifer, cause I can't stand the bastard,_ said Zell. _He could be the fount and source of all knowledge and I'd still want him on the other side of Garden.___

**Have it your way,** replied Griever. **You seem to be as talented at annoying him as he is at annoying you.******

_I learned from the best,_ replied Zell, and was rewarded with a mental sound that was half growl, half purr. Griever was laughing. 

"Come on, get yourself vertical - properly vertical," Irvine corrected himself. "It's time to go say hi." 

Zell kicked his legs down and flipped himself upright, standing still for a moment as his blood flow readjusted, then nodded. Irvine held the door for him as they headed for the Cafeteria. 


	3. Party

The Cafeteria was abuzz with activity when Irvine escorted Zell in. Selphie had spared no expense, it seemed, and anyone Zell could even vaguely remember from his days in Garden - right down to the students he'd taught hand-to-hand combat - were there. The jukebox had been specially packed with punk rock, his favorite musical style, and there were hot dogs aplenty for a change. 

Hardly a standard welcome for a SeeD returning from a failed assignment, but then as part of the orphanage gang, Zell was not a standard SeeD. Rather than making any announcements that the guest of honor had arrived, they just let Zell say hi to everyone he could remember himself. And wherever he passed, the party got into full swing. 

The best welcome was from Bella, of course. It had been more than a year since he'd seen her last, and the shy SeeD had blossomed into a confident warrior. He charged her, and swept her off her feet in a spin as he hugged her. "Missed you," he said redundantly. 

She traced the blackflame tattoo on his cheek with a twinkle in her hazel eyes. "Missed you too, scamp," she whispered. "I got back just in time to get Selphie's invite." 

"What were you doing in Galbadia, anyway?" he asked, curious. 

"Later. Hopefully in your room?" 

"Anytime," said Zell. "Though the bed's smaller than we're used to." He grinned. "You been keeping up with the yoga?" 

Bella blushed. "Yeah. Look your friends are gonna mob you in a minute. Should I come back later on?" 

Zell grinned more widely. "Hell no. You're one of us now, you can come too." And he took her hand firmly in his own as the 'mob' descended on him, all his friends saying hello at once and giving him hugs like he might disappear any minute. He did the best he could to keep track of who said what, but eventually had to tell everyone to calm down. Such an order, coming from Zell, sent the whole lot of them laughing. He rolled his eyes, pretending to be exasperated. 

"Only got two ears, you know," he said. "And life in Esthar was pretty quiet." 

"Then why stay?" asked Irvine. "You like the quiet life like I like life on a deserted island with no bikini-clad girls." and he ducked as Selphie playfully whacked him with a pillow. 

"Cause Laguna asked me to," shrugged Zell. "He was a really cool guy. And I got free run of the place, and anytime I wanted I could help 'em clean up the Lunar Cry." He did not say that he'd actually spent a lot of time doing that; the price of Griever's company was constant combat. 

Quistis stared at him quietly. She knew that the pleasure of Laguna's company was not why he had accepted that assignment, but she said nothing. 

Selphie grinned. "You have to tell me _everything_ about Sir Laguna, Zell," she said. "If I hadn't had so much to do as Garden Master, I'd have fought you for that assignment." 

"Hey now," said Irvine, looking hurt. "Don't I get a look-in?" 

Selphie put her arms around him and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. "Of course you do, sweetie. It's just a little hero-worship, okay? It's not like he's _competition_." 

Thinking of his friend killed a little of the fun, and Zell couldn't keep it from showing. "He was...a good friend, Selphie," he said at last. "Could we kinda talk about this later, after I've had time to adjust?" 

"Of course, Zell," said Quistis. "There was something else we wanted to ask you about, anyway. What really happened to Squall and Rinoa? It was ten years ago, so you should be able to talk about it now." 

"You did say you'd tell us about it when we were all together," reminded Irvine, getting comfortable. 

"Hyne, you guys sure know how to kill a party," grumbled Zell. Friends all around, hot dogs, and great music...all of it suddenly pointless. He blew out a long breath. "All right, but I gotta get some promises from you guys first." 

"Do we get to know what we're promising?" asked Quistis slowly. 

Zell gave her a hard look. "Depends. If you are their friends, you'll promise. If you're not their friends, I'm not telling." There was clear accusation in his tone; he had not forgotten that Squall had been close to being tried for treason. "You gotta promise that you aren't going to do anything about anything I tell you - you gotta promise to let me handle it the way they told me to." 

Irvine tipped his hat up to get a clear look at Zell's face. "Man, it's gotta be serious," he said. "Well, I have the least at stake so I'll go first. I promise, Zell. Whatever they told you, you can handle it. Okay? But you better tell me all of it, 'cause all this promising stuff is getting me really curious." 

Quistis and Selphie shared a long look, but slowly nodded their agreement. "Though we're not sure we should," said Quistis. "We'll promise as a last favor." 

Zell nodded. "Okay," he said. "The first thing is, they're not dead." For a moment he felt like a rabbit surrounded by wolves, as his friends' eyes locked on to him. He had their complete attention, and at that exact moment he wasn't at all sure he wanted it. "They...damn." He took a deep breath. "They chose to become Griever again, for good. Griever's with me." 

"But...why?" asked Selphie. "Squall was _fine_ after we beat Alicia. Why would they become Griever when Ultimecia will get them?" 

"I owed Squall for lots of things," said Zell. "I didn't ask. But when Seifer asked him, he said the benefits outweighed the risks if they could save the SeeD of Ultimecia's time." 

Quistis was tapping her lips thoughtfully with one finger. "I think I can guess what the 'benefits' might be," she said. "But what makes them think they can change what we saw? The SeeD were dead at the base of Ultimecia's castle. And Griever was her servant." 

Zell shrugged. "Squall told me after we beat Alicia that they knew things, as Griever. Said we shouldn't take what we saw at face value." 

"Then why not tell us, and be done with it?" asked Irvine. "He was our friend, if he said there was more to it than met the eye, that'd be that, wouldn't it?" 

Zell just crossed his arms over his chest and levelled a glare at Quistis. "He said he couldn't trust SeeD any more. Even if he hadn't gone with Rinoa into Griever, he wasn't going to come back to Garden." 

Selphie and Irvine looked from Zell to Quistis, who had bowed her head and gone very still. "Yes," she said quietly. "I can see where he might think that." She sounded like she might be close to tears, and when she raised her head her eyes were too bright from holding them back. "If you have Griever, then they can hear me. Xu asked me, after we executed Mikhal, where my loyalty lay - with Garden or with Squall." She looked down at her hands again. "I admitted Seifer back into Garden because I realized that it lay with Squall. I could not have fought him, or Rinoa either." 

_So Seifer being in Garden is your fault alone,_ Zell thought to Griever. _She wouldn't have done it if you hadn't asked.___

**That is not what she said,** growled Griever. **She said she admitted Seifer because she could not fight us. She was planning on having Seifer on hand in case a fight was needed. As we suspected, when we heard of her agreement.**

So Quistis had obeyed Squall with the intention of training his possible executioner? To Zell, this made no sense - but it did seem that Griever might have a better handle on Quistis than he did. Both Rinoa and Squall had gotten to know Quistis pretty well, though for different reasons. 

"So...what actually _happened_?" asked Irvine. "Squall decided he couldn't go back to Garden, so he turned into a GF and hid in your brain for ten years?" He looked completely baffled. 

"They both wanted it," said Zell. "I didn't ask them why, but that morning...I mean, it wasn't like he was dancing or anything, but Squall was _happy_. Rinoa...Hyne, Rinoa practically _glowed_. They became Griever because they wanted to, because it made them happy. I didn't need any other reason out of them. They were my friends." 

"You mean you watched it happen?" asked Selphie. 

"Me an' Laguna," Zell nodded. "Just us. They didn't want a lot of witnesses." 

"And now they're with you..." Selphie mused. "Can you call them out? Like Xu did when she wanted to talk to Eden?" 

Zell shrugged. _Well?_ he asked. 

**No. It is better if they just accept us as being dead.** Griever's tone was flat, final. 

_I could summon you, I think, _Zell hazarded. 

**You don't want to try that. Unless you want them dead,** Griever growled. Zell took the hint. 

"Griever doesn't want to say hi," he said to their disappointed faces. "Griever isn't exactly either one of them, see. It's more sort of...both of them. At once. Sometimes I'll hear from just one or the other, but not often. I think they didn't like Seifer forcing Squall to talk to him." 

"Seifer did what?" asked Quistis, eyebrows in her hairline. "When did this happen?" 

"When I wasn't supposed to have visitors," Zell grumbled, and detailed the conversation - leaving out the ring. "Seifer forced Squall to speak on his own, 'cause I couldn't fight back. He couldn't do it for long, though, and it was days before Griever said anything to me again." 

"Well...there goes his exemplary record, or at least it would if we could tell Xu about this," said Quistis. "But we're promised not to. And it might be wisest; Xu is very suspicious of Guardian Forces right now. Griever's presence certainly would not help that." 

"I'm wondering who Seifer has in mind to take Zell's place," mused Irvine. "Seems a helluva concession for Griever to make." 

Zell shrugged. "Griever isn't exactly Squall or Rinoa. It hasn't got the same priorities. As long as the person's willing to fight and a SeeD, Griever doesn't seem to care." 

"Willing to fight and a SeeD?" asked Selphie. "Kinda odd criteria." 

"Griever doesn't want to have to serve Ultimecia," said Zell. "It thinks that if it can grow strong enough, it can save itself. If it's junctioned to a SeeD, it figures it can take SeeD with it. I don't know if it would be as talkative with anyone else, though." 

"Well, it is at least a worthy goal," mused Quistis. "Though I have to say I would have preferred it if Squall and Rinoa could have held off longer. This assassination business...we could have used their help with that." 

"That's mine," said Zell flatly, and found Bella gripping his arm. He turned to her. "Laguna was my friend," he said. "I couldn't save him. I wanna get to the bottom of this so I can pay back whoever did it." 

"Then I am going with you," said Bella. "Ten years of waiting is very much long enough." 

Zell grinned and gave her a kiss. "Fine by me," he said, and turned to Selphie. "Anyone approached Garden about hiring an investigative team?" 

"Of course," said Selphie. "Even if this were an inside job we'd be offered the investigation, because Laguna was widely recognized and loved, and Garden is known to be impartial. But you'll have to talk to Xu to get assigned the mission." 

Zell groaned, remembering. "Shit, Seifer said he'd pair me up with his idea of a successor the minute I was cleared. I bet he's got someone on this job already, 'cause he'd know I'd want to be involved. Any of you have any ideas who he'd have in mind?" 

None of the group had any idea who Seifer might have in mind. Zell sighed. "All right - are you guys all filled in now? I mean, there's hot dogs and good stuff on the jukebox, and I for one could do with having a little fun." 

"Go have your fun, Zell," said Quistis. "Though how you dance to that racket is beyond me." 

"Just watch and learn, Quistis," grinned Zell, as he and Bella headed for the dance floor - or at least, where the dance floor was vaguely visible below the crowd. 

"Energetic, isn't he," Irvine said mildly after a while, watching the flexible couple dancing to the fast-paced music. 

Selphie shrugged. "Just 'cause _you_ like listening to old stuff, doesn't mean everyone has to." The musical warfare between Selphie's taste in heavy metal, and Irvine's liking for country, had become a staple of Garden life. 

"I miss the waltzes, myself," said Quistis sadly, and left the room. 

* * * * * * * *

Much later, Zell lay awake on his bed, one arm protectively curled around Bella as she slept nestled against him. Griever's presence had faded as much as it could when he'd gotten back to his room with her in his arms - SeeDs being allowed to visit each other at any hour - per a request made by Zell a long time ago. Griever couldn't disappear entirely while junctioned, but it could tune out until called - the way all other GFs worked. 

But now he wanted to talk to it, so he sent out a mental request. _Hey, Griever?_

**Yes?**

_Why didn't you want to talk to the others, earlier? I mean, you spoke to Seifer...they would've loved to hear from you. And, by the way, I did not appreciate the offer to smear them._

**Zell, we are not the people they knew. You know that better than any. And we can't...separate. Not until after Ultimecia's defeat. We would lose all the power we gained from the ring, and all that we have learned in the past decade. Squall had to pull himself away from us to speak to Seifer as he did; it was an action not without cost to us, and only done to spare you further punishment at Seifer's hands, since you did not want us to kill him. We will not go through that again to ease anyone's guilt.**

_You mean you can separate? Be just Squall and Rinoa again? _Zell frowned. _Guys...I never asked before. Why did you do this? Couldn't you have waited until you were both old and grey to become Griever?_

There was only silence for his answer for several minutes. When Griever spoke again, the voices of Squall and Rinoa were much clearer. **Zell...when we joined in Odine's lab, we found out what it was to be complete. You love Bella, don't you? But you could be apart from her for ten years. We...couldn't do that. Separating, that first time after Alicia was gone...it felt like all the joy in the world was taken from us, like a wall had been built between us. We tell you in all honesty: once we had tasted what it was to be together, we could not have survived apart. The choices were to live together in Griever, or to die and be together in eternity.**

_Given what's probably going to happen to you,_ Zell thought carefully, _why choose Griever?_

**Because it is not inevitable that we serve Ultimecia. And in eternity, all emotion is muted. There would still have been a wall, it would just have been a different wall.**

_So I'm basically forwarding the cause of great romance, here?_ asked Zell. _You did this just out of love?_

Griever made the growl-purr sound that was its laughter. **Yes and no, Zell. Love set the timing, but we believed it was inevitable that we would become Griever again, knowing what it was to live this way. You know what SeeD life is like; it was only a matter of time before one of us would be wounded badly enough so that the choice was either to become Griever or be separated. Leviathan was just one trial among many; remember Adel? The space station? Time compression? The D-District prison? - We chose to become Griever as soon as possible not only out of love, but to give ourselves that much more time to grow strong. The stronger we are, the greater the chance we can keep ourselves out of Ultimecia's clutches, and possibly save a few SeeDs in the process. And in the meantime, we've saved your hide at least a dozen times. We will help to make SeeD as strong as it can be, as it does for us.**

_Even though you don't trust Garden or SeeD?_

**It is an alliance born of necessity, Zell. We can, perhaps, save each other. So it behooves us to try. You will have an early day tomorrow, and your Bella misses you. Get some rest.**

Taking that as a dismissal, Zell tucked his head into Bella's shoulder and quickly fell asleep. 

* * * * * * *

Zell woke when Bella stirred, unused to having anyone in his bed when he woke. Especially not when the narrowness of the bunk meant he was jammed up against the wall to make room for her. Out of its characteristic ponytail, Bella's short dark hair tumbled off the edge of the bunk as softly as it spilled around her shoulders. Fascinated, he watched her slowly rouse from sleep. In the ten years he'd been on assignment, she had only been able to wrangle a few weeks with him every few years or so, but his feelings toward her hadn't changed. 

In all honesty, Zell admitted to himself, his feelings toward everyone were pretty much the same. Good people were good people, and bad people were bad people; that never changed. So he saw no reason why his feelings toward them would, either. Bella struck people as being shy and hesitant, but Zell had never seen her waver in a fight. And it was amazing how much she learned when people spoke; they often acted like she wasn't there, she was so quiet. Bella's combat specialty was with the shuriken, but her team designation had been changed to information specialist; if there was something that could be known, she was an expert at ferreting it out. It struck him that he could ask her to be assigned to the Laguna investigation in that capacity; he'd get to work with her. That would be a nice change. And he _had_ said she could go with him this time. 

Then he remembered Seifer, and wondered who _else_ would be joining the party. He glanced up at the wall clock; it was time to get ready for another visit to Xu, and then hopefully he could get his tail out of Garden. He leaned over and gave Bella a kiss; it was one of the nicest ways he knew of to wake someone up. She seemed to agree, hazel eyes flashing open and combat-trained reflexes wrapping her arms around him in a fierce hug. 

"Mrng," Zell mumbled into her lips. It was the best he could manage in the awkward position she'd pinned him into. 

Bella laughed and kissed him back, then let him go. "Morning to you too," she said cheerfully. "New assignment starts today. You too?" 

"Yeah," said Zell, surprised. He sat up and ran his hand through his short blond hair. "Thought you wanted to go with me? Where's your new assignment?" 

Bella bounced off the bunk and headed for the shower. "Silly," she said. "I knew you were going to try for the Laguna investigation as soon as I heard it was offered, which was before you were let off bed rest. I got Seifer to get me assigned, and you too. You're just checking out today - you don't need to request assignment." She set the water going and stepped into the shower. 

Zell was torn between wanting to ask about the assignment and Seifer, and thoughts of Bella naked in his shower. It had been a _very_ long time since he'd seen her last. He settled for joining her in the shower, and asking his questions while making _absolutely certain_ she was completely clean. And since he was there, she returned the favor. It was one of the most enjoyable showers Zell had managed to have in some years. 

In between the soap suds, Zell learned that Seifer had approached Bella himself and requested her assignment, and that he'd been aware that Zell would be interested. This would have made Zell's hair stand on end if the mousse hadn't already taken care of that; it sounded suspiciously like Seifer was being nice. Seifer being nice was like bombs not exploding when you dropped them; it meant something was horribly wrong with the world. 

However, since Seifer would undoubtedly take the price out of his hide, and it was something he did want, he opted to enjoy the good side while it was available. He ended up dressing in haste, grabbing a SeeD uniform since his old clothes were rather shabby or still in Esthar. He hated the uniform - the embroidery was incredibly stiff, and Zell prized flexibility over all other criteria in clothes - but it would probably please Seifer. This morning would be a good morning to please Seifer, since the man was holding way too many cards Zell needed. Bella elected to join him in formality, making sure her ponytail was neat and that her uniform had no wrinkles (it had been in an overnight bag she'd brought to his room). 

The two decided to race to the Commander's office just for the hell of it, though Seifer still had control of the Disciplinary Committee. Life could get really hairy really quickly, and if Zell knew anything it was that you took your good times where you found them. 


	4. Assignment

Zell found the Commander's office rather crowded when he and Bella arrived - a bit out of breath - at its door. Constructed as it was in the center of the Ringway, the office was shaped in a more or less circular fashion, with a smaller circle-chunk taken out where the elevator passed through. The curving walls were beautifully wood-panelled, with the primary decor being polished high-quality weapons of all shapes and sizes. SeeD's image as presented to the rest of the world was always that of a naked weapon held in a velvet glove; the Commander's office reflected that. 

Xu sat behind a rather large mahogany desk, keying notes into a built-in terminal. On one side was an electronic notepad. Zell didn't bother wondering about that; he knew what it was for. What was bothering him were the other people. 

Seifer was lounging in one large chair, looking like a prince on a coffee break and eyeing him with the sort of amusement that - it being Seifer - meant he was contemplating whether or not to call Zell on his obvious rule-breaking. Seated on his right was Fujin, who had long ago perfected the art of revealing nothing at all in her expression or posture. And on his left was Raijin, who just grinned for no apparent reason. 

That wasn't too big of a surprise; he'd already guessed Seifer would be here, and having his posse with him was more or less standard procedure. But Irvine was also in the room, leaning casually back against the wall with his arms folded across his chest, Exeter's barrel just visible over his shoulder and his face hidden under his hat. He looked up at the sound of the door's opening, and gave Zell a smile and a casual wave hello. 

_That_ was a surprise. Not that Irvine would say hi, but that he was there at all. It was practically impossible to pry him away from Selphie, no matter how much of a flirt he might seem. 

Xu looked up and noted Zell's arrival. "Glad to see you could make it," she said dryly. "This is your mission briefing." 

Xu stood up, picked up her electronic notepad and moved to stand in front of her desk. "We are commissioned by Esthar to determine who the killer or killers of former President Laguna Loire are, and to turn them over for justice to the Estharian authorities if possible. If we can get whoever's responsible alive and with a substantial burden of proof concerning their guilt, a fair-sized bonus will be made available to you; we are commissioned as bounty hunters rather than vigilantes. However, if there is no option available, we are granted permission to kill within the boundaries of our assignment." 

She moved to stand in front of Seifer. "As highest-ranking SeeD assigned to the mission, Seifer Almasy will be your team leader. All official reports will be made through him, and his orders take priority over those of any officials you may interact with. If you have a problem with this," and she avoided looking at Zell, "you may refuse the assignment. Seifer Almasy: SeeD rank 30, team designation combat specialist. Will you accept the mission?" And she presented the notepad. Looking vaguely bored with the whole rigmarole, Seifer scrawled his name and leaned back in his chair. 

Xu moved next to Fujin. "Fujin, you are requested for this assignment in the role of Information Specialist. You will be working with Seifer within the boundaries of Esthar and this assignment. If you have a problem with this, you may refuse the assignment. Fujin: SeeD rank 20, team designation information specialist. Will you accept the mission?" Fujin revealed nothing as she quickly printed her name. 

Xu stood in front of Raijin. "Raijin, you are requested for this assignment in the role of Combat Specialist. You will be working with Seifer within the boundaries of Esthar and this assignment. If you have a problem with this, you may refuse the assignment. Raijin: SeeD rank 20, team designation combat specialist. Will you accept the mission?" 

Raijin shrugged and said, "Sure," and scribbled his name. Xu ignored the comment and moved to stand in front of Irvine. 

"Irvine Kinneas, you are requested for this assignment in the roles of Sharpshooter and Secondary Team Leader. You will head the investigation outside the borders of Esthar, reporting all findings back to Seifer. All official reports will be made through him, and his orders take priority over those of any officials you may interact with. If you have a problem with this you may refuse the assignment. Irvine Kinneas: SeeD rank 26, team designation sharpshooter. Will you accept the mission?" 

"Hell yeah," said Irvine. "Ye didn't have to go through all that, you know. A simple 'wouldja' would have done fine." And he penned his signature. Xu looked mildly annoyed, and Seifer's glare could have melted ice, but she chose to move on. Zell was next. 

"Zell Dincht, you are requested for this assignment in the role of Combat Specialist. You will follow the orders of Irvine Kinneas and Seifer Almasy in conducting your investigation outside the borders of Esthar. If you have a problem with this, you may refuse the assignment. Zell Dincht: SeeD rank 25, team designation combat specialist. Will you accept the mission?" 

Damn, he hated this formal stuff. It took way too long. To move it faster he just scribbled his name as fast as he could and held off on saying his views of the practice. He heard Xu address Bella last. 

"Bella, you are requested for this assignment in the role of Information Specialist. You will follow the orders of Irvine Kinneas and Seifer Almasy in conducting your investigation outside the borders of Esthar. If you have a problem with this, you may refuse the assignment. Bella: SeeD rank 23, team designation information specialist. Will you accept the mission?" 

Bella also forbore comment, but grinned as she signed her name. Satisfied, Xu took the notepad and fed the signatures into the Garden's computer. "The teams are assembled," she said, "so here's your briefing - to keep you here as short a time as possible," shooting a sharp glance at Zell. She tapped a few keys, and a pretty hologram of the world appeared above her desk. As she named locations, they were highlighted. The current position of the ever-moving Garden was a glowing white dot; it seemed they were over the sea at the moment. Not unusual. 

"We've decided that due to the unusual nature of Laguna's death, two teams were needed to conduct a proper investigation. Since Zell reported no unusual activity in Esthar prior to the attack, and no contacts warned of trouble, we have two options. Either his contacts were double agents, or it was an outside job. To determine this, Seifer will head the investigation in Esthar itself. If it was a coup we need to know quickly. Irvine will head the investigation outside of Esthar; he has the second highest rank and numerous contacts in Galbadia; Garden recommends you begin your search there. Any information from Seifer regarding the possible location of the assailants should be regarded as an order of the highest priority. Time is of the essence." 

"You have one hour; I expect both teams to be on the Ragnarok as quickly as possible. Seifer and his team will disembark first; drop them off outside of Esthar. Irvine's team will have need of the most mobility and are assigned use of the Ragnarok for the duration." 

Xu hesitated a moment, then said, "One last thing. At the terminals in your quarters, you are authorized use of one GF each. I haven't assigned GFs to my SeeDs since the execution, but at Seifer's insistence of its necessity and safety I am making an exception for you six. GF assignments run as follows: Seifer, you'll have Bahamut. Fujin, you'll have Pandemona, and Raijin, you'll have Quezalcoatl. Irvine, you'll take Tonberry. Zell, you'll have Leviathan, and Bella will take Cactuar. I want _any_ unusual behavior on the part of the GFs to be reported directly to Seifer and to myself. Any disobedience of this order will get you taken off the mission and confined to quarters pending a conduct investigation. Now, get out of here." 

Zell didn't waste any time; he got out of there before sheer nerves gave him away. _Guys?_ he asked. _This doesn't sound good....I mean....Leviathan? Will you be okay?_

Griever took a while to answer; Zell was almost back at his quarters when it replied. **We believe this is probably Seifer's doing,** it said. **But it should not be a problem, unless there are personality conflicts. We have never met the true Leviathan, though we know it to be one of the oldest Guardian Forces. You can probably guess why we haven't made ourselves known to it.**

Zell certainly could; it had been the power of Leviathan, created artificially, that had almost killed Squall and precipitated their first Joining into Griever. Leviathan bore the might of the ocean wave - and the ocean, overall, wasn't the warmest place to be. Although the power had given Squall many advantages in combat, the sheer cold of the deep waters had nearly frozen him to death. He was not at all happy about the idea of any part of Squall meeting up with Leviathan again - particularly not when the meeting place was going to be inside his own skull. 

"Hey, Dincht." Zell spun around, a sheer bundle of nerves. The fact that it was Seifer wasn't helping. He smiled a small, tightly smug smile and waited for Zell to calm down. "You left before I could fill you in on your successor; I don't appreciate having to chase you halfway across Garden. Your successor is Bella; plan on it." And with that little bombshell, Seifer spun on his heel and strode off, white trench coat flaring. 

Bella? This was so unexpected, and from so far in left field, that Zell had no idea how he should react. He entered his quarters functioning mostly on automatic. 

He left the junctioning of his assigned GF until last. He threw his street clothes into a carrysack; investigations tended to be low on uniform requirements and he could get them cleaned in the Ragnarok. He took some time to create a few privacy-locked messages; one for Xu that had a whole string of contingencies attached to its delivery, and one for Bella that had somewhat fewer. Contingency messages were the closest a SeeD ever got to writing a will, since they never knew which mission would be their last. It stung a bit that he was writing such a message to Bella. 

_Guys, help,_ he said to Griever. _Is this some kind of a trick? Why would Seifer pick my girlfriend to hold your junction next? What's he getting at?_

**We believe he chose Bella to throw you into exactly the confusion you are now experiencing**, said Griever calmly. **Nothing would please him more than to make you mistrustful of your own girlfriend; Seifer regards relationships as weakening influences.**

_I'm not going to ask how you know that,_ said Zell heavily, and heard the sort of response he rarely did; Griever reacting to itself. The half that was Squall was rather indignant; the half that was Rinoa was laughing sympathetically. The lack of agreement meant that the feline voice of the Griever -overmind was completely absent for a moment as the two got back into harmony. Zell couldn't help laughing; there wasn't much that could get such a rise out of Squall - certainly not to the point where he'd completely disagree with Rinoa. It felt like scoring a point. 

But he was reminded once again of the loss of Laguna; Griever was a decent enough companion, but he never felt as comfortable talking to it as he had talking with Laguna. He'd just made it seem like Zell could chatter on about anything that was on his mind. All he asked in return was the chance to chatter back. It hurt, it really _stung_, that he'd taken so many bullets and hadn't been able to save him. He reached under his mattress and pulled out the box with the ring. He'd have to be on the Ragnarok soon. This would be his last chance to apologize. 

Hyne, the thing was heavy when he pulled it out. It was platinum, and thick to accomodate the carving. The fierce expression of the lion as it roared suited Squall's harsh exterior, but the pride and strength it represented fit both Squall and his father as far as Zell was concerned. The lion's pride...the pride that drew followers in its wake like the tail of a comet. That absolute confidence that if you just did your bit, things would turn out all right. Zell knew himself no leader; he'd risen as far in SeeD as he could without taking on that burden. People like Squall and Laguna, they were natural leaders. People like Seifer earned the right through accumulation of power. Zell...just wanted to take care of himself, and his friends. So had they. But they had some sort of pull to them that just made you want to crawl over broken glass if it would make their day better. It was not for simple reasons of expediency that Laguna had become President of Esthar, nor his son Commander of Garden. 

_Ah, shit,_ Zell thought, realizing he was going to end up crying if he didn't watch it - and that was no good. _Ha. Just catch Seifer coming in here and seeing me get all worked up over a piece of jewelry. Riiiiight._

He pulled off his left Ergheiz glove and slipped the ring on his finger, and was taken completely by surprise when a surge of power flowed from the ring into his body. In his mind, Griever roared - so loudly that it knocked Zell to his knees. _Hey, now,_ he said. _Tone it down!_

**Sorry**, came Griever's voice - quieter than the roar but noticeably stronger than it had been. **It seems that the ring can be recharged. We were...a bit unprepared. Whatever else you can say about him, Laguna was not weak of will. Perhaps you should wear it all the time, if you don't mind?**

_Yeah. Now, how did this thing work again? Oh, yeah._ Zell took a deep breath, and found himself standing at attention. "Um, Laguna?" he said, feeling a bit foolish for addressing his empty room. "I just wanted to say...um...I'm sorry, man. I _tried_, I really did, but the guy came outta nowhere and I couldn't get to him and..." he stopped, unsure how to go on or even if he should. 

At that moment he felt a surge of sympathy, as though his friend had just clasped his shoulder. There was a little amusement in there too, that made Zell think Laguna was saying, "What did I tell you? Waaay too seriously." 

It made him smile. "Well, it _was_ my job, Laguna," he said. "Look, I'll keep the ring on, if you guys don't mind. So if you change your mind you can let me know, ok?" 

Sympathy, comradeship. Apparently, Laguna didn't mind. And Griever had kept silent throughout the exchange. He was pretty sure if Griever was going to object he'd know it. That reminded him; he keyed in the authorization code to receive his GF assignment. Not without trepidation, he set his hand on the plate set in his desk for the purpose. 

Immediately he felt the cold slither of Leviathan climbing up his arm. Griever graciously made room in his mind for the new GF, but Zell was really fighting to keep his hand on the plate. Junctioning the water serpent made Zell feel like he'd just dipped his arm in cold, _live_ slime. Thankfully the sensation faded as the GF settled in. Junctioning Griever had been completely different; that had felt as though a great jungle beast had taken his arm in its mouth, just hard enough for him to feel the heat of its breath and the sharpness of its teeth. 

Well, best to be polite, since he couldn't refuse the junction without getting into trouble with Xu and Seifer. _Hello_, he said to the newcomer as he grabbed his bag and headed for the Ragnarok. 

Startlement, indignation. **You address us?** came Leviathan's response, not quite so powerful and clear as Griever's. To Zell's complete surprise, the GF was overtly feminine; there was the watery, hissing voice of the Guardian Force, and _two_ female voices. 

At that point he felt Griever intervene. He wasn't all that sure what was said - images and emotions flashed across his mind as he tried to concentrate on reaching the Parking Garage where the Ragnarok was housed. He felt annoyed to be left out; after all, it was _his_ head they were both sitting in. 

_Sorry about that, Zell,_ came Rinoa's clear voice. _Leviathan is a very old Guardian Force, and has almost forgotten what it was to be human. It's not used to being addressed. It's more than a little bit annoyed with us for...ah....demeaning the profession as it were, by talking to you. It's managed to really annoy Squall, don't ask me how. We'll get this sorted, but in the meantime don't address Leviathan and _don't_, whatever you do, ask it about its voice. Okay?_

_Okay, Rinoa,_ said Zell. Hoo boy. When Seifer wanted payback he didn't mess around. The idea of two antagonistic GFs in his head was just...he'd have to find some way to pay Seifer back for this. He tried to ignore the half-heard conversation going on in the back of his skull in order to look Perfectly Fine for his teammates as he reached Ragnarok's boarding ramp. 

He spent the first half of the trip - the part going to Esthar - very firmly in the laundry room, opting to hand wash his clothes just to have an excuse to stay the hell away from Seifer. He didn't trust himself not to knock the man flat on his ass, here in the Ragnarok where he couldn't use his gunblade. And although Seifer had a reputation for being meticulous, the sight of a _man_ doing laundry was a surefire way of keeping him away. 

And Bella was more than willing to keep him company, anyway. Even Irvine dropped in after a while, probably to get away from the posse as much as anything else. 

"Seifer's decided _he_ wants to pilot the Ragnarok to Esthar," he said by way of hello. "I didn't argue. Good trick this, doing laundry to keep him off. I'll have to remember it. Where'd you pick it up?" 

"Dorm life," said Zell with a wicked grin. "I just worked it out one day. He'd give me hell any time he could catch me alone, anywhere I happened to be...unless I was doing laundry. I ended up becoming really nuts for hand washables, just for the peace and quiet to study." 

Bella laughed. "It's hard to picture you as a fashion mogul, Zell," she said. 

"Who said I was? But it's regulations that every cadet be, ah, 'neat about his person' I think was the official wording. Meant no spots, no stains, that sorta thing. And since when have you known stuff like that to hold me back?" 

"So you're the guy I should talk to if I want to get gunpowder off my chaps?" drawled Irvine. "I never knew ya had it in ya." 

Zell shook his head. "Nah, I never needed _that_ much study time," he said. "Though I used to volunteer to do Squall's laundry around midterms and finals. Him and Seifer always got real...._tense_ around test time." 

"You're making me grateful I had all my cadet days at Galbadia Garden," laughed Irvine. "Let me guess; you're used to dropping stuff like that in 'cause it made Laguna happy, right?" 

Zell sighed. "Yeah. He liked stories like that." He shrugged. "Him and Ellone." 

"And Griever doesn't mind?" Irvine asked curiously. "Hell I'd have thought Squall would rip you a new one for stories like that." 

Zell put down the shorts he was working on and stared Irvine right in the eye, hoping to get it across that he didn't want to talk too much about this. Griever didn't like being discussed, and Zell was having enough trouble with Leviathan already. "I told you," he said, "Griever isn't exactly Squall or Rinoa. It's both of them, at once. It doesn't do anything unless both of them are in agreement on it. Doesn't matter _why_ they might agree, only that they do. Like...Alicia. Squall had different reasons for hating her than Rinoa did, but they agreed she had to go down - so Griever took her down. That's how it works." 

Irvine mulled that over. "And if they don't agree?" he asked. "Like...well - did they agree not to say hi the other night, or was that something else?" 

"They agreed not to say hi," said Zell. "But it's not 'cause they don't like you guys, at least I don't think so. They're not the same as they were. They don't want you guys assuming things you shouldn't, or something like that....I think it's like when I came back, and you were making a big deal out of me cleaning my room. I'm not seventeen any more, and neither are you. But you still thought I was this lousy housekeeper. Well, not only are they not seventeen any more...they're not _human_ any more." He flipped the sopping wet but clean shorts all the way across the room, to land neatly in the dryer. "Ah, who'm I kidding. _I_ don't know exactly why they didn't. They threatened to kill you guys if I tried to make 'em come out, and I'd never thought they would do that." 

"It's okay, buddy," said Irvine, and patted Zell on the shoulder. "I think you got it right. They're not human any more. And I'd bet Guardian Forces don't take well to blackmail." 

Zell finished his laundry shortly thereafter, but the three stayed in the room because it was a fairly safe place to be. Irvine left the topic of GFs alone after that, much to Zell's relief. Instead they got into a three way Triple Triad game, using a 9x9 board instead of a 3x3, winners taking the cards they turned. Bella turned out to be the best player, relieving both Irvine and Zell of more than one valuable card. 

"I _am_ the Information Specialist," she said to their stunned expressions. "Honestly, what else do you think the Library Committee does after hours? If we scoured the stacks for cadet sweethearts, we'd never get any sleep with all the grat goo they'd put in our beds." 

"Suuuure," said Irvine. "Look we're probably near to Esthar by now. Where do you want to start looking, Zell? I have contacts all over Galbadia but we can't land everywhere at once. Who d'you think might have the most stake in a war with Esthar?" 

Zell scooped up his - now slightly smaller - deck of cards and tried to think back to that afternoon. It had started so normally. Laguna was going to make a routine opening speech for some stupid bridge or other, cut a ribbon and go home. Just one of those stupid things he had to do to keep the press happy, though it didn't bother him much. Laguna _loved_ being in the center of the media eye, at least as long as they didn't ask questions. Or maybe he just liked being liked. It was hard to say. He'd been up on that little makeshift wooden podium that looked ten times sturdier than it was, black hair heavily peppered with gray but his green eyes still sharp and clear. So was his voice, but Zell didn't pay attention. It was a standard enough speech. He watched the crowd instead, looking at all of it without focusing on any particular part of it, the way he'd been trained. He was looking for something that didn't fit, that would signal a threat. 

So when he saw a sudden movement near the front of the crowd, he immediately moved to stand in front of Laguna; it wouldn't make for bad press since the podium was raised up and you could still see him for pictures. Made security hell though. He saw the gun raised and dove for the man, taking advantage of the strength and speed Griever gave him to launch him much farther towards his target than the man could possibly have expected. 

But he had, hadn't he? That gun barrel had followed him perfectly, and still in midair the man had shot him...just squeezed that trigger and sent a spray of bullets shooting through him before redirecting the spray at Laguna. And the worst part of it was, in the chaos caused by a perforated Zell landing on a half-dozen media representatives and Laguna doubling over and falling from the podium...the man had gotten away. Media men weren't policemen, and somehow the guy - even carrying a large repeater - had slipped the suddenly tightening security noose. But Zell hadn't been able to do anything about that. He'd felt the bullets ripping through his body, heard Laguna yelp in surprise and pain...then nothing. 

He tried to remember anything he could about the guy that Irvine might be able to use, but all he could remember clearly was the gun, its barrel tracking his progess as he leaped for its holder... 

"Sorry, Irv," he said, shaking his head. "All I can think of was the guy's gun. I don't remember anything about him other than that." 

"Then tell me about the gun," said Irvine. "Come _on_, Zell. I'm a sharpshooter. I know guns the way you know martial arts forms. There's lots of guns that are unique to particular places, or specifically used in certain places. I had _no_ problem talking Xu into giving me this assignment, you can bet money on that." 

"Okay," said Zell uncertainly. "It just looked like a gun to _me_...you know, trigger at one end, barrel on the other..." 

"Just tell me," said Irvine patiently, leaning back against a washing machine and closing his eyes. "It's all we've got to go on." 

Zell shrugged. "Okay." He ran down anything he could remember - which, given that the thing had been pointed at him, was rather a lot - and tried not to leave anything out even if it sounded stupid. When he'd finished, Irvine was still in that same position...leaning back against the washing machine, eyes closed, hat down...thinking. 

"Somebody planned this _good_," he said at last. "Zell...that gun was from Shumi Village. At least, that's where it was made, and I don't see them being big on exporting nasties like that. And I'll bet you'd have remembered if the gunman had been Shumi." 

"Will the Secondary Team get their asses outta the bathwater and up to the cockpit?" came Seifer's voice over the intercom. "We're ready to open the hatch and we don't want to turn any toramas loose in here." 

Irvine, Zell, and Bella immediately leaped to their feet and ran out of the laundry room, heading for the cockpit. The seats were better there, anyway. 


	5. Leviathan

Seifer and his posse were waiting for them when they arrived at the cockpit, arms crossed over his chest and plainly angry. "I don't know what you three think you were playing at, but this is a _mission_. You got that? We," and here he unfolded one arm to indicate his posse, "are going to hike it to Esthar so there's no announcement or record of our arrival. But for us to check Chicken-Wuss' network we need to know where the fuck it is. So we're waiting on _you_. Spill." 

Zell's fists clenched automatically; he hated Seifer's nickname for him and Seifer knew it. Which was, of course, why he used it at every opportunity. Even knowing Seifer did it just to push him, it took all his self-control not to punch Seifer through the windscreen. With two GFs backing him, he could probably do that without breaking a sweat. 

**Don't let him goad you,** came Griever's voice. **Look at his face; he's _trying_ to get you off this assignment.**

Zell looked, and saw what Griever was pointing out; Seifer's expression was his usual condescending mask, but his cat-green eyes were watching Zell carefully. So he took a deep breath, and forced his hands to unclench, focusing on the still-unfamiliar weight of the Griever ring on his left hand. He wouldn't let Laguna down. Or Griever, either. 

"Let me get the names and places down for you," he said in a creditable imitation of a calm voice. "The code word is 'platinum'. They have to say it in the third sentence they say to you, and it has to be the third word in your reply. Vice versa if you're hunting them out. Just so you know, none of them know each other." He hunted around for some paper, finally ripping a page out of the Ragnarok's logbook, and quickly wrote down the names and usual locations of his contacts. He had to write small to fit them all on it, and Seifer was tapping his foot impatiently by the time he'd finished. 

"You just couldn't do this on the trip over, could you Dincht," snapped Seifer as Zell finally handed the list over. "Hyne, you could at least learn to _write _faster." He turned to his posse. "We have what we need. Let's get out of here. Fifty gil says this turns out to be an inside job, and Chicken-wuss here just can't keep a network going." The posse moved for the lift to leave the cockpit. 

That was _it_. Zell found himself moving for Seifer, even over the rising growl of Griever in his mind - but it was Irvine's hand that clamped down on his shoulder, and Irvine's voice hissing in his ear, "Don't lose it now - they're almost gone." And then the opportunity was lost; the posse were out of the cockpit and the exit ramp was opening out on the wide Esthar plains. Zell punched a handy chair and tore it from the bolts that held it to the floor, wishing it were Seifer's head. 

"You may not still be a lousy housekeeper, Zell, but you _do_ still have a lousy temper," said Irvine as he checked the damage. "Hyne, you couldn't punch a door or something, could you? You have any idea how Selphie's gonna feel, you tearing up the Ragnarok?" 

Zell blew out a long breath and flopped into another chair. "Sorry, Irv," he said. "Seifer just _pisses me off_. I swear if there's a bigger asshole on this planet I've never met him. And I hope I never do; Seifer's pill enough. Tell Selphie I'll cover the repairs." He stood up again. "That reminds me - why did you want this mission, anyway? You and Selphie are still together, aren't you?" 

Irvine looked up from his inspection of the damaged chair. "Of course," he said matter-of-factly. "She'd have come herself if she could have, but Garden Masters aren't supposed to leave Garden and she's still training her replacement. So I came for two reasons; for her, because she really liked Laguna and she wants to know what happened - and for you. We knew Seifer'd end up getting on your case. I got leadership rank just for this mission, so you wouldn't have to deal with him directly. Besides - Xu wanted the best for this. And, not to put too fine a point on it, I'm one of the best there is." He grinned. 

"Selphie's stepping down?" asked Zell, surprised. "I thought she liked the job?" 

Irvine hauled the broken chair off to a corner, evidently giving up on the idea of fixing it. "She does," he said conversationally, "But she hasn't gotten to see the outside of Garden in years. Me, I can take a break occasionally, go out on assignments like this one. But she can't. Selphie's good with numbers, and she's done a lot of good things for Garden, but she's not the sort to stay caged forever. Last spring we found a guy who's almost as good, who doesn't mind the restrictions placed on a Garden Master's movements. He's willing to take the job since it's got a low being-shot-at factor attached, so she's been training him. Another year, and she'd have been free." 

"And what happens to Quistis, then?" 

Irvine shrugged. "Quistis likes her job just fine," he said. "She sees people every day, and gets out every year during the field exams. She never wanted anything but to teach. And with Squall gone, she hasn't really been much into missions." 

That, Zell could believe. Quistis was happiest at the top of her totem pole; there was no higher position than to be a Garden Administrator. A Garden Administrator could speak frankly with any head-of-state out there. 

"Oh yeah," Irvine said. "Forgot to tell you - the other two Gardens, they're back online." 

"They're _what_?" asked Zell. "But Galbadia Garden was gutted, and Trabia Garden was bombed. I thought they were left alone?" 

"Yeah, but that's what Selphie's been doing with her power as Balamb Garden Master. She's had her hands on the purse strings of SeeD for ten years. The first thing she did was set up funds for the rehabilitation of the two destroyed Gardens." Irvine grinned. "_You_ might have hid under a rock, but SeeD has been very, very visible in the world. The first SeeD instructors will be heading for Trabia and Galbadia Gardens at the end of this year." 

Zell couldn't help grinning at Irvine's evident happiness. He had every right to be happy; he had come from Galbadia Garden before Edea had it gutted, and Selphie had transferred from Trabia before it was bombed. Now they would be able to go home. "So, which Garden will you two be living in?" he asked, thinking of that. "Helluva commute, Galbadia to Trabia." 

"Trabia," said Irvine without hesitation. "I had lots of friends at Galbadia, but they wouldn't be too happy to see me with Selphie. I'm just glad to know it's there. Besides - they've been rehabilitated so that they fly, too. They won't be in the places they were before once they're fully online, so I won't really be missing any scenery. Balamb Garden still rules the roost, and Xu has pretty much stuck to Squall's idea of keeping the Gardens out of the nations' territories." 

"So...will the other Gardens have Administrators too? Or just call back to Balamb?" Zell was trying to picture multiple flying Gardens canvassing the seas. 

"They'll have a Garden Master and a Headmaster each," said Irvine, "But there's only ever one Commander. SeeD has always been Balamb Garden's pride and joy. Come on - the posse's out of sight, out of mind, and hopefully not out of danger by a long shot. We're headed north anyway - I'll swing you by Trabia Garden on the way to Shumi Village." 

* * * * * * * *

Trabia Garden was beautiful as they flew over it, low and slow so Zell had time to get a good eyeful. Where Balamb Garden was blue and white and smoothly rounded, the same colors were made sharp and piercing when applied to Trabia; the tropical became arctic. It looked like an ice palace within the snowy plains, a jewel amid the mountains that surrounded it on almost all sides. It couldn't possibly have been so beautiful originally, and Zell felt a little of his guilt in his part in the original's destruction fade away as he looked at it now. In the northern seas, Trabia Garden would look like a carved iceberg lit with its own internal starlight. The lights were on as they flew over it, construction crews working on the interior most likely. 

"Selphie worked out the design," Irvine commented from the pilot's seat. Bella was working as co-pilot; she'd already known about the Gardens, and she was enjoying the look of pure delight on Zell's face. "She modeled it mostly on the original Trabia, but she threw in a few touches to make it unique. Galbadia's got a few touches like that too, but Selphie wanted this one to be beautiful." 

"Remind me to tell her thanks," said Zell. He'd wondered if he could ever live his part in Trabia's destruction down. But it would be all right now. 

_No one ever blamed you, Zell,_ came Rinoa's soft voice from his thoughts. _It was a mistake anyone could have made. And look at the good that came of it; Selphie has made it a more beautiful place than any other in the world._

_Yeah,_ said Zell, _ but it was my big mouth that got it bombed in the first place. If I hadn't said we were all from Garden..._

**What's done is done, Zell,** growled Griever. **Let it go.**

Zell dropped it; if Griever spoke, it meant Squall and Rinoa agreed. He didn't have to agree with them, but it wouldn't do any good to argue. _Hey, does this mean we're friends again?_ Griever hadn't spoken to him since Leviathan had joined them; Zell had been starting to worry. 

**Leviathan is not happy,** said Griever. **But it won't interfere with us; we are stronger. However, if you wish to make use of Leviathan's powers, you're going to have to deal with it yourself.**

_I'm not sure I like the sound of that. 'Deal with it' how?_

**You can agree never to speak to it again, and you will be allowed to make use of its powers in the same way you always have; make your request and call on it. Or you can deal with it directly, as you do with us - but you'll have to earn the privilege.**

_You're freaking me out here,_ said Zell, frowning. _What the hell could I do to 'earn the privilege'? Honestly I was just trying to be polite._

**We know,** said Griever. **But Leviathan is very old, and has its own views on the relationship between humankind and the Guardian Forces. To earn the privilege we would take you into eternity, and you would deal with the true Leviathan. We're not sure what they have in mind, but it wouldn't be easy. On the other hand, if you win, your physical capabilities would be greatly increased, particularly when it comes to magic use.**

Zell thought that over. It would be interesting to see what the 'true Leviathan' looked like. And for that matter, what Squall and Rinoa looked like, over there. _Is this something I could tell Irvine about, so he could strike a deal with Tonberry if he wanted? Or is this a one shot deal just for me?_

**...Zell, we might not have made this clear enough to you. If you take the challenge Leviathan offers and you _fail_, you die.**

_...Oh._ That certainly threw a wrench into things. Still, it sounded like an option more than one SeeD would opt to take; any edge in a combat and all that. _I'll let Irvine and Bella know, I think, _he said. _There is that standing order and all, after all._

**As you will. But don't plan on sleeping very well tonight.**

Zell could pry no more out of Griever; it radiated an aura of concern, of the sort a well-meaning person might have when they've just offered a monkey the key to a banana plantation. He looked out the window and saw that they had completely passed Trabia by. Pity; he'd hoped to see it from the back too. He turned to the others. "Hey, guys?" he said. "You remember Xu's orders about unusual GF behavior?" 

"Yeah?" said Irvine, as Bella took the controls. "You want this in the official report?" 

"Er, not Griever, no," he said. "But Leviathan's kinda pissed at me." 

Irvine spun in the pilot's seat so he could see Zell more clearly. "You want me to tell Seifer that Leviathan's ticked at you?" he asked curiously. "Is this 'shoot Zell in the foot day'? He'd be all over that." 

"Look, _listen_ willya?" said Zell, exasperated. "I junctioned Leviathan, all right? Same as always. But I'd got used to talking to Griever, so I said 'hello' to it. That just pissed it off, it seems. Now it's offering me a deal; I can promise never to talk to it again and I'll get to use it in the standard way, or I can deal with it directly, the way I do with Griever. Thing is, I'd have to earn the right, and if I fail the test it's lethal." 

"So what's the advantage to dealing directly, besides spacing out at odd moments when your GF talks to you?" 

Zell grinned. "Well, for one, you don't forget things. The GF reminds you of anything you might have forgotten. And two, they're a lot older than people - well except for Griever. They can tell you about things that used to be, offer advice..." 

"You are not taking any test that could kill you," said Bella firmly. "You already deal directly with a GF; you deal with Griever. You don't need two Guardian Forces arguing in your head." 

Irvine leaned back, thinking. "I'll make the report to Xu that Leviathan made the offer, and leave the bits about Griever out," he said. "But you're going to have to take the test so that I can detail what dealing directly is and what the test is, without mentioning Griever. This would be too valuable a tool to SeeD; Xu would want to know. Do you think you can handle it?" 

Zell shrugged. "No idea. Even Griever doesn't know what it would be, but it doesn't think it'll be easy." 

"Tell ya what. We'll land outside Shumi Village and stay in the Ragnarok tonight. If you want to take the test, let me know and I'll make the report tomorrow after we know how it goes. If you don't, I'll leave out any info that Griever told you, and we'll let Xu decide whether to ask for volunteers." 

Zell thought about it, as the Shumi Village's dome came into view. On the one hand, Bella was exactly right - he didn't need to take any sort of test because he already had the advantages from Griever. But on the other...with Griever's backing he might have a better chance than other people might - he was definitely more comfortable with the active presence of a Guardian Force than any other SeeD would be. 

And...there was Bella. He was beginning to realize that Seifer had been thinking about this a long, long time when he'd chosen Bella as the successor for Griever's junction. Griever couldn't be officially known to SeeD until every one of the orphanage gang was dead - everyone that had fought Griever in that distant future. Zell had made them promise not to tell Xu, but eventually it would be known. If any of his friends were alive, they could well be ordered to fight Griever and try to kill it or weaken it, in order to deny Ultimecia a possible weapon. None of them would want to fight Squall and Rinoa in _any_ form. 

It was to fend off that fight, as much as his own dislike of Seifer or Quistis' policies, that had kept Zell away from Garden so long. But what of Bella? She was SeeD, but she wasn't one of the orphanage gang. At least, not to start. And she didn't know Squall and Rinoa, so when she got the junction she'd have no reference point - no way to understand the personality of the voice in her head. It was with Bella that Griever would become known to Garden. She'd only ever seen Squall at a distance when he'd lived in Garden, and Rinoa she'd only met briefly once or twice...would Griever even speak to her? 

But if Garden knew how to talk to the GFs _before_ she accepted that junction...she wouldn't be unusual. She could claim Griever was some other GF, or just junction two as Zell was now doing. She wouldn't have to reveal its presence unless she wanted to, unless she chose to. She probably would; she was a loyal SeeD, and didn't have any leverage from having helped to Save The World. It was Zell's job, as he saw it, to make sure none of his current problems landed on her. He had to begin paving the way so that Griever could become known to SeeD at large. The idea of Bella _having_ to live in virtual exile - over something he'd left undone - was too much. If she chose it, fine - but she shouldn't be forced. 

He turned to Irvine, and said, "Make the report tomorrow morning - I'll take the test. Tonight, so we'll have this off our plate when we say hi to the Shumi." 

"Zell..." said Bella. "You don't have to, you know that..." 

He shook his head. "No, I do - really. Look...there's some stuff I gotta explain to you, okay? Will you...I mean, would you...sorta keep an eye on me tonight? Irvine could probably keep watch." 

"Hey, _I'm_ supposed to be the leader here," sighed Irvine, but shook his head. "You mean you want to talk to her alone. Man, I don't know why I'm doing this. All right - head on down to the sleeping quarters, and I'll stay up here." He put a hand on Zell's shoulder, the greeting of a comrade. "You watch yourself, buddy," he said. "It's too soon to go down for good." 

Zell tried to grin, but in truth he was getting jumpy. "I can take whatever the water snake wants to throw at me," he said. "_I've_ been fighting Kiros for the past ten years." He draped an arm over Bella's shoulder, and headed for the lift down to the sleeping deck with her in tow. 

Irvine tipped his hat back, and crossed his arms over his chest. "You know, Squall," he said to the empty room, "You're a hard friend to have, sometimes." Shaking his head, he sat down at the communications console, and began writing a private letter to Selphie. 

* * * * * * * * *

Zell sat down on the bed's edge, and took Bella's hands in his own. "Look," he began, "I don't know how this is gonna sound, but - you know I have Griever, right?" 

Bella nodded. "Yes, I remember you mentioning that the night of the party. What does that have to do with Leviathan?" 

Zell scratched at the back of his neck, nervous. "Well...thing is...Xu can't know about Griever. Not ever. The next Commander, maybe. But Xu doesn't...didn't...like what Squall did. So she wouldn't like hearing that he's sorta still around - especially if he's still around in the shape of a GF that _we_ remember pretty well. She'd want him...them...dead. Now...the gang knows I have Griever, and they're not going to fight me. But...well...I won't live forever, right? So, if something happens to me, I have to hand Griever on. Or else it'll go into this ring," and he pulled his Ergheiz glove off so she could see it, "and the next person who puts it on _would_ have to fight it. Well, Seifer knew about Griever and agreed to keep quiet if he could pick the person I'd have to hand it on to...you know, if things went bad." 

Bella's hazel eyes were steady, and she sat very still as she said, "He picked me, didn't he. He picked me so you'd have to do this. Can I refuse?" 

"Well, yeah," said Zell, "But then Griever goes into the ring, and we have to fight it to keep it on our side. It doesn't want to have to do that, Bella. It wants to help SeeD. It just can't do that openly yet. People still remember Squall and Rinoa. So, I gotta tell you. If something happens to me, you've gotta take Griever's junction as well as Leviathan. And you gotta keep Griever secret from everyone - not even the orphanage gang should know you have it. Just Seifer, since he picked you. When people don't remember Squall and Rinoa so clear anymore, you can bring out Griever. Okay?" 

"I'm not going to plan on you dying, Zell," said Bella fiercely. "And you still haven't said why this means you have to take on Leviathan." 

"Because, if Garden knows GFs can talk and all, then if you act like you're listening when Griever says something it won't automatically give you away. If I don't do this - and I have the best shot at living through it with Griever behind me - then it could be a long time before it's common for SeeDs to talk to the GFs. You'd have to stay away from Garden or give yourself away." 

Bella shook her head, ponytail flipping from shoulder to shoulder. "That doesn't make a lot of sense, Zell, but you seem to have made up your mind. I'll keep watch over you tonight, so if something happens I can take care of it. That's what you wanted to hear, isn't it?" 

"Well, I was hoping for an 'I love you' to, you know, give me a boost," Zell grinned, "But if you're not up to it that's okay too." 

This had the desired effect; Bella swatted him in the shoulder and said, "Idiot," while grinning. 

Zell laid back on the bed, making sure he didn't cut off his circulation anywhere, then said, _Okay guys, time to do this_, to Griever. 

To Bella, it seemed he got settled and instantly fell asleep. 

* * * * * * * *

Zell opened his eyes, and saw a gloved hand held out to him. He grabbed it and pulled himself up, then realized just _whose_ hand it was that he had taken. 

"Squall!" he yelped. "But...where's Griever?" 

Indeed it was Squall, dressed as he always had been in his leather and fur-collared jacket, Lionheart at his side and the silver pendant from his neck. He looked exactly as he had that last morning in Esthar, just turned eighteen. Zell could see Rinoa standing nearby, smiling happily. He was where he had been before, in the sleeping quarters of the Ragnarok, but Bella was nowhere to be seen. He could see his own body laid out on the bed, though. Good grief, that was spooky. 

"You're not dead, Zell," said Squall calmly. "You put the ring on; that's the only reason you can see your body right now. Don't worry about it." 

"Welcome to eternity," said Rinoa. "This is where the dead live, and the true forms of the Guardian Forces are seen. So, this is where you had to be." 

This was not at all what Zell had been expecting. "So...you mean my grandfather, and my dad, and Laguna...they're all around here?" 

"_Yes_, Zell," said Squall impatiently. "But they're not going to be putting in appearances right now - we're keeping them away. You didn't come here to chat." 

Squall was being unusually talkative, Zell thought - then realized what was putting him on edge. Squall's eyes weren't the silvery gray color they had been that morning in Esthar. They were amber gold, and pupiled like a cat's. Looking over at Rinoa, he realized her eyes were the same. "You're Griever, aren't you," he said slowly. "Even here, you're Griever. The same person?" 

"Yes, Zell," said Rinoa. "Even here. This is our true shape, so this is how we are seen. Remember that, when you come here. Everyone is in their true shape - but you can tell the Guardian Forces by their eyes. You have no idea the shock Laguna got when he found that out." She smiled. "He chattered on for four days straight before he noticed, so you did pretty well." 

"So...where's Leviathan, then?" he asked carefully. 

"Right here," said a sultry feminine voice. Zell nearly jumped out of his skin; no one had been there a moment before, and there was no sound to indicate her arrival. He spun, finding Squall and Rinoa at either side of him, silent support. 

The speaker was dark-skinned, taller than Rinoa or Squall by several inches, and slim, like the aboriginal tribes Raijin had come from. She wore a wraparound gown of metallic blue, and was coated in sapphire jewelry. Her long black hair was done up in an elaborate headdress, set with silver and sapphire. And her eyes were a solid field of darkest blue. Leviathan's eyes. 

To her right, and standing just a half step behind, was a woman decked head to toe in plate and chain armor, her helmet's face-plate up so that Zell could see she was pale and had the same eyes as her companion. She carried a sword that made Lionheart look like a child's toy - a full two-handed flamberge almost as tall as she was, and she was almost six feet tall. She removed her helmet and tucked it under her arm, and auburn hair spilled out. "We are Leviathan," she said, and her voice was a clear soprano. 

"Um, hi," said Zell, realizing all at once why Griever had not been keen on pursuing this course of action. "So...what's this test you want me to take?" he asked, trying to keep from wondering about the sword wielding woman. 

"We can read your thoughts here, human," said both women at once. "Did you think a Knight had to be male?" 

"Er, yes?" said Zell, trying to backpedal. _Both_ women radiated an aura of power that made the hair on his arms stand on end. "But, you know, I'm no expert in this stuff, never occurred to me..." 

"Sarah is a much better Knight than any male would have been," said the dark-skinned woman, confirming Zell's halfhearted guess that she was the Sorceress of the pair. "As you will see. Your test is to fight Sarah, and the fight will be with swords and to the death." 

No wonder this pair had gotten on Squall's nerves, Zell realized. He wasn't that tall as men went, and these two would've been as irritating as Seifer in pointing that out. Briefly he wondered if it had come down to a sword fight; all he knew was that Leviathan wasn't challenging Griever any more. "But, I don't have a sword," he said. 

"You are a fool," said the two women. "This is the realm of the mind. The children can make you one easily." 

Rinoa shook her head ruefully. "We are younger, Leviathan," she said calmly, "But you already know we are stronger. Don't tempt us to prove it again." 

Squall closed his eyes and held out his hand - a sword, a plain sword, appeared in it. "Not too long, good balance...you should be able to use this okay," he said. "I'd lend you Lionheart but you have no idea how to use a gunblade. Just keep your training sessions in mind and you should do all right." He handed the sword to Zell, hilt first, holding it by the blade. 

Zell took it gingerly; he had only had rudimentary training in the sword - the absolute minimum required by SeeD. Everyone in Balamb Garden knew what happened to people who excelled with the sword; they got to duel Seifer. 

On the other hand, Zell knew a great deal about the _weaknesses_ of sword fighting. He'd had Squall for a roommate for four years, and more than once had had to sort things out by 'trial by combat'. He'd actually won, once or twice there. 

This was not a good time to think about losing. He hefted the sword; yes, it was a good fit for him, but great Hyne - Sarah towered over him by a several inches, and that flamberge of hers was at least twice as long as the blade he held. Well, Griever _had_ said it wouldn't be easy. He should have trusted a sentence like that to mean 'you'll seriously regret trying'. 

Then he noticed that the sword Squall had made for him tapered to a very fine point. It was a rapier - narrow of blade, but good for slashing or piercing. Zell realized Squall had had a very specific training session in mind, and smiled. He did have a chance, after all. 

"We will remove our armor, so that the field is level," said Leviathan. Sarah closed her eyes, and her chain and plate shifted to a shimmery blue catsuit, the image of Leviathan snaking its way from her left shoulder down her right leg. If she'd meant it to be distracting, it was working. 

"The field is not level," said Squall flatly. "Zell fights with an unfamiliar weapon upon unfamiliar ground, and Sarah has the power of Leviathan. To level the field you must withdraw." 

The Sorceress grimaced. "We cannot Separate in the way you would require, Griever," she said. "We do not have the power, even for a short time, to withdraw ourselves and remain whole." 

"Then we will assist you," said Rinoa, moving to take the Sorceress' hand. To Zell's surprise Squall moved to join her, taking the Sorceress' other hand. They closed their lion-gold eyes. 

And the blue field of Sarah's eyes faded, revealing normal green ones. Oddly enough, she now resembled Selphie somewhat, except that Sarah's eyes were filled with pain and loss. "I am alone," she said, sounding like she had just lost something incredibly dear. "You will die for this presumption!" 

She raised her sword and charged him in a fury. Zell blinked and stepped aside, letting her charge past. Sarah wasn't acting like a warrior, she was acting like a widow. He realized this was why Squall had said separating would make the field level; she had superior skill with the weapon but might not have the presence of mind to use it, separated from her Sorceress. 

She corrected her mistake quickly, and swung her sword fiercely; Zell jumped back and thrust forward with his own sword, under her guard. She had the reach, but her sword was slow and heavy; she could not correct her movements as quickly as he could. He grinned; he really did have a shot at winning this. This was how he had won against Squall, in the early days before he'd learned to counter it; a piercing sword had many advantages over a merely slashing sword. 

Sarah dodged nimbly, trying a diagonal strike, and again Zell was able to dodge, stabbing forward with the rapier. Inelegant and unpracticed, but she had no way to counter it and he scored a long graze across her stomach. Not lethal, but distracting. She swung again in a heavy overhead chop, quickly enough that he almost got his clothes sliced off as he dodged, and he felt the whistle of the heavy blade past his ears. 

He couldn't afford to play cat and mouse all night though; Griever had had trouble separating Squall to talk to Seifer for more than a few minutes. And he didn't want to think about his body lying back in the real world without him in it. He gripped the sword in his hand firmly, and said, "Ah, fuck it." When Sarah swung again, he not only dodged the blade, he lashed out with a low sweep with one leg, knocking her from her feet. He held the blade to her throat. "Do you _really_ wanna do this to the death?" he asked. 

"Fool," she snapped, and aimed a heavy punch right at him. But this was _his_ territory, not hers, and he blocked it - with the blade. It ran along her knuckles and she pulled back. Zell winced; that was a crippling wound, at least for someone who used their fists as a primary attack. 

She picked up the sword in one hand and swung it, cleaving deeply into his side. Zell cried out and fell backward - the blade had gone in several inches, and hurt like hell. 

"This is a duel to the _death_, you fool," Sarah snapped. "You should have taken my head when you had the chance." And she raised her sword to prepare a beheading sweep. 

"You will not," came Squall and Rinoa's voices together. "He spared you when he had you beaten. If you do not return the favor, when he dies we will destroy you." 

"Making threats now, _pup_?" Sarah snapped. "He knew the rules when he came here." 

"Mercy is one of his better traits," said Rinoa. "We will not see him suffer for it. We release you; you have lost. He had you down first, and has chosen to spare you. Honor it." And she left the Sorceress' side to cast healing spells on Zell's wound." 

"Um, what's going on?" asked Zell. "This is sounding kinda freaky here..." 

"Leviathan could not hold up its half of the bargain if you killed Sarah while she was separated from Leviathan," said Rinoa as she worked. "Leviathan would have ceased to be. So you did right in sparing Sarah, especially since you didn't know that. Leviathan was hoping _we_ didn't know that, so it could choose to die rather than serve. As we told you, it is a very old Guardian Force. But it must honor the bargain now; you had Sarah down first." 

Indeed, the moment Rinoa had left the Sorceress' side, Squall had also begun moving away, standing between her and the Leviathan pair. The blue returned to Sarah's eyes, her wound healed, and her armor reappeared. Both women looked unhappy. "Will you do this always, Griever?" they asked together. "Will you interfere on their behalf, and force those of us apart that they challenge? Do you know what it is to be separated, even for so short a time?" 

Squall nodded. "We know," he said. "We have survived it. So will you. We gave the SeeD our promise to make them strong. If to do so we must referee every test, we will do that." 

Rinoa bent gently over Zell, who was starting to feel really spooked by all this. The two women he didn't know, so he didn't have any expectations of their behavior. But Squall and Rinoa weren't acting like the people he'd known. They were acting like one person who was a little like both but not really like either. When it had just been a voice in his mind it had been _much_ easier to handle. All at once he understood why Griever had objected to being called out at the party, and why it didn't like being discussed. "Zell, you'll have to tell them in the morning," said Rinoa. "If they want this additional power, tell them to look for us, call for us first. We'll make sure the test is something they can handle, and that they'll survive if they lose." 

"Tell them to call on _who_?" asked Zell. "Squall and Rinoa are dead, and Griever isn't known around Garden." 

Squall came over to join them, and for just a little while his eyes faded to gray again. "Tell them to look for me," he said quietly. "They'll know me. They have to, if they're going to survive to meet Ultimecia. The rest...they don't have to know." And his eyes returned to that lion-gold that just seemed so..._alien_ on the face of his friend. 

Zell got up, lamenting the huge tear in his shirt where the sword had gone through. "All right, guys," he said sadly. "I'll tell them." He looked over at Leviathan. "Is it okay to say hi to you now? 'Cause I gotta say I got a lot more on my mind right now than just a hello." 

"You may address us, and we will answer you," said Leviathan sourly, both women speaking together. "But do not expect us to love you, holder of Griever." And abruptly, both women vanished. 

"They're still around," said Squall. "They'll keep their end of the bargain for as long as you live. Just don't expect them to come running when you summon them for a while." 

"I just hope other SeeDs don't get this kind of trouble," Zell grumbled, then said, "No, I take that back. Could you let Seifer get his ass kicked before you step in on his?" 

Rinoa smiled; Squall slowly blinked. "I think we could do that," she said impishly. "A favor for a friend. And despite all you've been thinking all evening," and here she tweaked his nose, grinning, "we haven't _completely_ forgotten what it is to be human. We're still here, Zell. We're just a bit different. And we're always your friends." 

"You can say that again," Zell sighed. "The being different part, at least. All right, back to normal - or at least within spitting distance, yeah? How do I get back?" 

"You can see your body," said Squall. "Just dive in." 

Zell had almost forgotten that; he turned around, and there his body was. Without looking back, he did as Squall had suggested and dove in. 

Eternity didn't seem too bad a place, but he didn't think he'd be heading back there for any more visits. The neighborhood was just too wierd. 

* * * * * * *

Zell jerked upright, and saw Bella's familiar face. He fell back against the bed again, releived. "Boy am I glad that worked," he said, grinning. "I couldn't see you there." 

"I didn't move all night," said Bella. "But I could use some sleep now I know you're okay. I think we'll have to call off hitting the Shumi Village today, both of us need some rest. You want to go make your report to Irvine now?" 

"Hell yeah," said Zell. "Found out all sortsa stuff - and I was _right_ to go first. Griever got SeeD a deal - nobody has to die for this power. Cool, huh? But I'm telling you it's no picnic." 

He got up off the bed and wended his way to the cockpit, hoping he could get everything in a report before exhaustion overtook him. These out-of-body gigs were worse than all-day battles for taking it out of a guy. 


	6. Bahamut

Seifer slammed his fist down on the table, so hard that Raijin and Fujin immediately backed off, watching him warily. 

"I'm gonna kill him," he growled. "Do you know what that little prick's done?" 

"Er, no?" hazarded Raijin, ever willing to be the target. "I mean, you were the one checking the messages and all..." 

Seifer scowled. "It's not enough the bastard has to take my dream away from me. It's not enough he gets to be remembered as the savior of the future. _Now_ he's playing Guide to the Guardian Forces. I swear, the only way to keep him dead would be to lock him up in a box _in the afterlife."___

Fujin was not put off by his temper or tirade. She narrowed her one good eye at him, and said, "EXPLAIN." 

Seifer stood up from the hotel room table where they'd set up the SeeD laptop. "Look for yourself, Fuuj," he snapped. "You might as well look over her shoulder, Raijin. I'm gonna go cool off." And with that Seifer spun on his heel and stormed out of the room, so furious he almost - _almost_ - slammed the door on his trenchcoat. 

Fujin did as he'd asked - when had she not? - and understood. Irvine's report was very detailed as to the benefits of the advanced junction, but to have to ask Squall to watch and make sure the fight was fair - meaning Griever, she knew - would undoubtedly open old wounds. Seifer had returned to SeeD because he had had, in all honesty, nowhere else to go once he'd realized he would never get to become a Sorceress' Knight. He'd gotten a little wiser in his time away - enough that SeeD had no idea of his real feelings on most matters - but it had been at best a consolation prize and all three of them knew it. 

She still wondered what they'd said to each other, that night in Esthar before the posse had returned to Garden. Seifer had been in a state of barely contained rage for days, taking it out on the monsters in the Training Center so that Xu would not be any the wiser. Raijin had just come out and _asked_ what was bugging him, and had gotten pummeled for his efforts. 

Then, a few weeks later, word had arrived - via Zell - that Squall and Rinoa had died in a monster attack. The posse had accepted that as fact, at least officially, though all three knew it was highly unlikely. But it did have the interesting effect of releasing a few contingency messages once Squall was officially 'dead'. His friends had been positively unbearable for weeks as they sorted out their grief. Seifer's reaction had been...a bit different. 

For the only time in her long association with him, she'd seen Seifer get completely, utterly wasted. Just once, just the night he got the message. Neither Fujin nor Raijin knew what it had contained; he'd read it and deleted it. Nor did Seifer turn out to be a talkative drunk. So the posse had kept a careful eye on him as he drank, and made sure nobody tried to stop him. 

Just once, he'd laughed, the way people do when they've finally gotten the joke. Raijin and Fujin had shared a look; if he took it on himself to attack someone, in this state, they'd never be welcome in Garden again. They weren't all that sure how they'd gotten back in _this_ time. But they were spared having to hold him back or hold him down, because shortly after that Seifer managed to drink himself into unconsciousness. 

When he'd gotten over the hangover, he'd become the perfect SeeD. Quistis and Xu had been watching them like hawks, but Seifer didn't even bend the rules, much less break any. They'd taken all the refresher courses Quistis had set down - passing with flying colors, of course. And when the field exam had rolled around and the three were assigned each to different squads, they'd _still_ all passed with flying colors - though Raijin's was a bit close. 

That had gotten Quistis off their backs; she had no authority over SeeDs. Not that Xu alone had been much better, at first. Until Seifer found out that Xu was now wary of Guardian Forces; he exploited that with every ounce of his skill and charm. The chance to do a little research and keep it all open and above board had just been too sweet to pass up. It was then that Seifer had finally told his bemused posse what was going on - which was good, because she'd seen Raijin was close to demanding when Squall had taken over Seifer's body, and a remark like that could have gotten the guy flattened. 

He told them what he thought had _really_ happened to Squall and Rinoa, and it made a lot more sense than the story Zell had told. He knew a lot more about both Sorceresses and Knights than either one of that pair; he'd spent his life studying them. What he wanted to know now - and what Xu had unknowingly handed him a blank check to find out - was if there was another way to achieve the same end, or to undo the power from the outside. When Raijin asked if this meant he was going to attack the GF that had been Squall and Rinoa, Seifer shook his head. 

"I gave him my word, they're off limits for stuff like that," he'd told them. "But...if this GF they are now is a threat - and I'm betting it could be since they didn't tell Garden about it - then someone else, down the line, could use knowing that." 

As to achieving the same goal by a different route, the main thrust of their research had been unexpectedly thwarted; Odine's research was under lock and key at the Presidential Palace in Esthar, and Laguna wasn't letting any of it go. Not even for SeeD. He'd had every page written on permanent media and then sealed off, all copies destroyed. He didn't say why, but the posse had been able to guess; he wanted it available in case Squall should return and possibly need it. 

When Zell had returned, the chance to get a few answers had prompted Seifer to take a small risk; he had no idea how the new Guardian Force would take to him roughing up Zell, but he had to know. Had to know what it was to be a Guardian Force, what he'd wanted for so much of his life and been forced to give up. 

He'd told the posse how that went, unusually moody. Something about the answers he'd gotten had bothered him, but on that point he was completely silent. When the offer to investigate Laguna's death came up, Seifer took charge of it because he knew Zell wanted it - and he thought a few more answers might get shaken loose if he kept prodding. Now Zell had to funnel all reports through him, and was under orders to reveal any GF secrets he might come across. 

As Fujin scanned Irvine's report, she realized that their efforts had had the desired effect; this advanced junction could provide SeeD with incredible power. Just one GF, junctioned to a SeeD, would provide immense power. No wonder Zell had survived the gunshots. She'd seen him when he was wheeled into the Infirmary; he should have been dead but wasn't. 

The price? Laughably cheap for anyone not Seifer; you had to call on Squall to referee the fight. Fujin decided right then that she would not try for this advanced junction; she was no more inclined to rely on the moody fighter than Seifer was himself. Pandemona's usual junction was power enough. No need to go hearing voices in her head. 

On the other hand, Zell had taken the plunge with Leviathan, and now had _two_ Guardian Forces at the advanced level. Zell, whom Seifer despised for an almost uncountable number of reasons, but sheer lack of ambition had to be near the top of the list. Fujin thought it over, and decided that this was what was really annoying Seifer; his choices were to allow himself to be outdone by Zell - something Zell would probably crow about for the rest of his life - or humble himself to call on his rival for aid. 

She shook her head; Seifer would do it, if only to prove to himself that he could. Besides which, he'd only have to deal with Squall once. If he refused the challenge, he'd have to deal with a crowing Zell for the rest of his life. 

Raijin stepped back from behind her; evidently he'd finally finished reading the report. "Why'd Zell fight Leviathan?" he asked. "He's no mage." 

"IDIOT," snapped Fujin. It would take far more words than she felt like employing to explain things to him, and she wasn't in the mood. 

"Look, we better go find Seifer, yeah?" he said, possibly to fend off her kicking him in the shins. "We gotta get this mission taken care of." 

"WAIT," said Fujin. Seifer would return when he was ready. He'd left so he wouldn't take his temper out on them; a rare concession, and indicative of a powerful fury. Prudence dictated that they accept the gift for what it was. 

* * * * * * *

Seifer, for his part, found a wandering torama and hacked it to pieces, and felt much better. If there was one good thing about Esthar, it was that anyone who wanted to could take up monster hunting as a sport; the Lunar Cry had dropped incredible numbers of powerful monsters on the place, which was much more exhilirating than the rather weak ones in the Training Center of Garden. 

He unfolded the sheet of paper with Zell's scrawl all over it. By the look of it, he'd done a creditable job setting up an information network - nothing to fault with regard to its reach or capability. Zell was a good SeeD; you had to give him that. Not the brightest, no. That he considered Raijin his rival said that more clearly than anything else Seifer knew about the guy; Raijin was a great fighter, but no thinker. The other rather simple fact; that he'd gone after Zell so many times just to draw Squall into a fight, had also escaped the hyperactive punk. Zell had never worked out that being Squall's roommate hadn't protected him, it had made him a target. Seifer smirked; the day Zell worked that out, the world would be proven to be made of green gelatin. 

That was why Seifer felt this was an inside job; Zell had made a good network and it hadn't warned him. Zell, having faith in his contacts, had to assume this meant the attack had come from outside. Seifer, seeing the same information, concluded that one of the contacts had double-crossed him; otherwise at least _some_ warning would have been available. If Zell had a fault (and as far as Seifer was concerned he had many) it was that he had far too much faith in people. If money bought a guy once, it could buy him again. People's prices didn't change in kind, only degree. 

Seifer knew what his price was; he wanted to have a place in history. Not the sort of price easily met by anyone, and he'd gotten a lot pickier lately about people who claimed to be able to pay it. He found a handy public phone and called back to the hotel room; better if the posse split the list so as to get as much checked as possible by tonight. 

Tonight, he'd talk to Bahamut. And...Griever. He had a lot of things he planned on saying to Griever. But that could wait. 

* * * * * * * * * *

They split the list up by type of contact; Seifer took the military contacts and the upper-class families, Fujin took the merchants, and Raijin took the barkeeps and bookies. Even so, there were dozens of names for each of them to check, so they'd be at this for a few days. 

Fujin had the most trouble, of course. Seifer had the charm and bearing of a general, and could get information out of anything female without even trying. Raijin was a basically open and sunny guy who people naturally felt inclined to talk to after a beer or two. Fujin, who resorted to one-word sentences whenever possible, had trouble just coming up with enough words to fulfil the contact-confirmation code. Thankfully, her silver hair wasn't anything unusual in Esthar, though her eyepatch drew a few looks. Still - many people were walking around with permanent injuries of one sort or another since the Lunar Cry. She quickly decided on a pat group of sentences to serve as her contact-confirmation code, so as to not have to come up with something new every time. Talking was annoyance enough. 

At the end of the day, the three regrouped in their hotel room, exhausted. All three had covered significant portions of Esthar City on foot repeatedly during the course of the day, occasionally bumping into one another just long enough to exchange notes. Fujin started entering what they had learned into the laptop, preliminary to Seifer's official report. She had a natural talent with computers, and quickly set up a small database detailing anything relevant. 

And to her surprise, there was an immediate discrepancy. "SEIFER," she said, and turned the screen to face him. 

"What, you got something outta that mess already? Remind me to ride Zell's ass hard when we get back. He coulda put the list in _order_, at least." But he looked, and frowned. 

It wasn't something you'd see quickly, or during a casual contact. But all three of them had been double checking every contact they spoke with, and made sure to note any changes since they had been hired. What Fujin had found was that some of the most highly-placed military contacts had changed commanders since becoming part of the network. When Zell had inducted them, all of them had reported to different generals - as it should be. 

Now, quite a few reported to the _same_ general. Seifer fell back on his bed. "Man, I wish someone had taken that bet," he said tiredly. "By the look of it, the entire military section of the network was compromised. There aren't enough contacts outside this chain of command to be sure any information was reliable." 

Raijin looked at the general's name. "Hey, that guy's running for President!" he said. "Talk all over town was about that. He's a candidate out of nowhere." 

"That so?" asked Seifer, still stretched out on the bed. "Looks like we're gonna have to find out a bit more about this guy. I'd say we have an inside job on our hands for sure now - but if we want that bonus we need proof. Raij, you're going to finish going over your contacts tomorrow, and pay serious attention to anything they tell you about this general and the presidential race. Fuuj...you come with me, and we'll finish off the military contacts. We need to know how far the network was compromised, and when - and why the hell Dincht didn't notice it." 

"Cause he's dumb, that's why," said Raijin, annoyed. "He shoulda checked these people, ya know?" 

Seifer sat up on his elbows and gave Raijin a cat-green stare. "He's not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, Raij," he said flatly, "but he's not stupid. And he had Griever in his head - and Griever's got to be a _long way_ from stupid. No...there's some other reason he didn't notice this. I just can't work it out right now." He laid back down on the bed. "Shit, I must've covered thirty miles of hiking today, and that's _with_ taking the floaters wherever I could. Why can't all the rich bastards live together?" 

Fujin's good eye narrowed. "GRIEVER?" she asked. 

"Yeah, Griever," came Seifer's voice from the bed. "I don't make a habit of underestimating my opponents, Fuuj, or my allies either. Zell spaces out here and there, loses track of conversations sometimes. He's talking to Griever. Probably Leviathan now, too. I don't know if they volunteer stuff or if he's just such a wuss he's constantly bugging 'em, but he definitely talks to them. Now leave me alone - I want to get in at least a few hours' worth of sleep before I try fighting a GF. You two...get the rest of that list sorted and see if any other part of the network is compromised." 

Seifer trying to sleep was probably the only thing that kept Raijin's voice down as he filled Fujin in on the people he'd talked to and what they'd said. Comparing what they'd done with what they had yet to do, they realized that even with all that they had done they hadn't covered more than a third of their list. Nothing unusual showed up on any of the non-military contacts, though. Once all the data was entered, Fujin laid out all the relevant information for the next day's work while Raijin opted to be the first in the showers. 

Alone for a few moments, Fujin studied the information they had uncovered; this was her specialty, the official reason for her presence. Seifer might lead this team, but she was the one who had to direct its movements in order to find out what was going on. 

Zell had built an impressive network; not surprising, really, given his outgoing and rather friendly nature. He'd made friends with barkeeps, waitresses, ticket-takers, wealthy sons, career military officers...just about anyone who might have a finger on part of the pulse of Esthar City. Except...Fujin's good eye narrowed, searching. Zell had not made friends with anyone who might know if someone new had come to town. Esthar was an insular place, having no official means to enter the country save by air - which perhaps made it an excusable lapse. But it did mean that if it _had_ been an outside job, Zell would never have known. 

That was what happened when you put a fighter in charge of an information network; something always got left out. She would have to make sure they checked the Airstation and any flophouses near the city limits on top of the list of contacts they already had. It would add days to the investigation, but there was no time limit. The possibility of finding useful evidence was too good to pass up. 

She looked up, and realized she'd lost several hours. Raijin had emerged from his shower and gone to bed, all unnoticed and silent for a change. And Seifer...she stood up quickly, moved to check. Seifer was very very still. She held one hand under his nose, to make sure he was still breathing without actually touching him. If he were merely asleep, he wouldn't take kindly to being awakened with her fingers on his throat. Relief; he was breathing. Slowly, but breathing. He was all right. 

Fujin pulled up a chair next to his bed and waited, watching carefully to make sure he stayed that way. He wouldn't be going anywhere tomorrow, if Irvine's report was accurate. Therefore, neither would she. She could afford to keep watch. 

* * * * * * * 

Seifer had begun things by following what Irvine's report had said; he directed a thought at the Guardian Force in his mind. _Hey, Bahamut,_ he tried, feeling like an idiot. He'd junctioned Guardian Forces hundreds of times in training, but it had never occured to him to talk to them. They were _forces_, not personalites. They responded to attention, and that was it. Except for the ones you couldn't control, like Odin. When he'd planned on becoming a Guardian Force, that had been what he'd had in mind. 

**You address us?** came a voice like three voices together. The strongest had a reptilian hiss to it and was loud enough that it might give him a headache. The other two were male and female; not unlike the voice Griever had used at the end of its conversation with him. **Daring of you, human.** Contempt filled the voice, a certainty of superiority. 

_Watch your lip,_ snapped Seifer. _Remember who won the last time you fought._ He hadn't been in on that fight, unfortunately, but he firmly believed that if Squall could do it with his friends, then he could do it with ease. 

**Ah, yes, that was a good fight,** came Bahamut's hissing response. **But not enough for you, we take it? Do you want to fight again?**

_I want what others have,_ said Seifer. _There is a higher level of power that I can reach; if I have to fight you to reach it, I will._

**Confident,** came Bahamut's amused response. **And proud. We shall see, human. Come into the killing grounds.**

There was a moment of disorientation, that made Seifer sit up, trying to focus. There was a chair by his bed for some reason, and the room was empty. Almost empty. A man stood near the door, with the exotic features of the old families of Deling City; he looked more than a little like General Caraway. He carried the largest sword Seifer had ever seen, long and slightly curved but narrow; an oversized katana. Seifer was just about to demand what the hell such an oddball was doing in his room when he noticed the man's eyes. Solid black, with tiny specks of light in them like stars. 

He followed the man out the door and out to the nearest city square, and saw not another living thing. The silence was deafening. In the square, though, there stood a woman, radiating the unmistakable aura of a Sorceress. She had short blond hair and pale skin exactly the same color as Seifer's own. She was dressed in a casual-looking pair of pants and a loose blouse that had long, tight cuffs at the wrists. A swordsman's shirt. And her eyes matched those of the man's perfectly. "We are Bahamut," she said, "and you stand in eternity. Will you fight with us, here, to gain the power you seek?" 

"Yes," said Seifer without hesitation. "But the fight has to be fair." He could _feel _the power rolling off these two. Bahamut was second only to Eden in strength, so far as he knew. He wondered if he could beat them without having to go hollering for Squall. Hyne, even _thinking_ that made him want to cringe. 

The woman smiled. "There is no such thing as a truly equal contest, Seifer," she said, making him jump that she knew his name. "You know this. There is only contest, a piling up of uncountable factors." 

He frowned; he knew what she wanted. She wanted him to say he'd fight her anyway, and then they'd toast him. No one person could fight even a Sorceress alone. "I can count a big one right here; I'll fight a fair fight, but sunny jim here has to let go of Bahamut for the stakes to be even." 

Both of them smiled. "And how did you plan on convincing us to do that?" they asked together. The Knight drew his sword in one fluid movement and swung it. 

Well, he'd wanted to know how he would do by himself; his hand flashed to Hyperion's hilt and he got it drawn and up just in time to block the descending strike. He was furious with Bahamut for starting a fight it knew was unfair; for several minutes, that fury alone kept the katana away from him as they dueled. He even managed to score a graze on the Knight's arm. But the Knight was part of Bahamut, and did not grow tired. A few minutes more, and Seifer realized with a sick feeling that they could wear him down. They were planning on it. 

He was running out of energy. There was no choice. Tempted though he was to just let Bahamut beat him rather than call out for help, he couldn't let the posse down. The rules only worked if Griever was there to enforce them, it seemed. Bahamut could easily kill him, and might choose to die rather than be taken. Then the Knight got through with a heavy midline cut across Seifer's chest. Shit - no more time. 

"Squall," he yelled. "Get off your ass and get over here!" Sometimes, being a leader _really_ sucked. 

And they were there. The moment Squall and Rinoa appeared, the Knight retreated to stand next to his Sorceress, just as Squall stood next to Rinoa. Seifer took the opportunity to back off, catch his breath, and watch the show. 

The four people were standing in a perfect tableau, Sorceress facing Sorceress, Knight facing Knight. Nobody moved for a moment. 

"He challenged us," said the Bahamut-Sorceress calmly. 

"He is SeeD," replied Squall in the same tone. 

"You began the fight," said Rinoa. "He didn't agree to your terms." 

_The hell?_ thought Seifer. They'd been watching him the whole time? 

"Are we required to ask the leave of children before we punish pride?" asked the Bahamut-Knight. 

"Will you test us?" said Squall. "Or is the defeat of Leviathan not proof enough for you?" 

_They what?_ thought Seifer. _Are they already that strong?_ But he didn't get time to consider that, as Bahamut said, "Yes, we will test you. Leviathan is old but weak." 

And a half-second later a wave of power lashed out from Squall and Rinoa that knocked Bahamut off their feet. Seifer - just for a moment - found himself wishing for someplace out of the way to wait this out. But it seemed that was all the show there was going to be; Bahamut got to its collective feet, and both the Sorceress and the Knight bowed. 

"You are strong, Griever," they said. "Strong enough for this. But not strong enough for what you plan to do. The laws are old, older than we are. It is not so easy to break them. For all your striving you will each die alone." 

"We have time," said Rinoa. "And we grow stronger. We have no need of your prophecies. Will you duel again on fair terms, or give him the battle since he drew first blood?" 

"We will give him the battle," Bahamut said sourly. "We can see his skill, and he has no more love of you than we do. We will fight for him. Perhaps we, too, can grow so strong." 

The pair vanished, leaving just Squall and Rinoa waiting, watching him. Seifer was strongly tempted to just walk off, but this was his only chance to get the answers he so badly needed. 

He'd gotten so much else right; he'd thought they'd keep their old shape somewhere - that there would still be a place where they were two and not one. But they were just like Bahamut - eyes identical and inhuman as they watched him. They weren't even trying to pretend to be separate; he suspected they were revealing more to him than they had to Zell, and Zell held their junction. 

"Do you believe us now?" they asked together. "Is this what you wanted?" 

Seifer scowled, shaking his head. "Just...why _this?_" he demanded. "Why this whole referee thing? Why do this for SeeD?" 

"This is the price we have chosen to pay, for the risk that we force SeeD to take," they said. 

"The risk you force us to take _for your love_," growled Seifer. "You didn't have to become Griever, and you know it. What makes your love worth risking the world for, huh? Damnit, Squall, did you lose _every_ ounce of self-respect?" 

Squall frowned. "You have no idea of the price we will pay for this, Seifer," he said flatly. "But we chose to pay it." 

"And you drag the rest of us along with you," said Seifer. "What makes your love so much more valuable than our lives, huh?" 

"When you learn what it is to love someone else, Seifer, you may question us then," said Rinoa. "At that time call on us if you still don't understand." 

And the two faded from view, leaving Seifer alone in the square. Exasperated, he hefted Hyperion over his shoulder and set off back for his room. There was no use in yelling at Squall when he wasn't in the mood to listen. Countless instructors at Garden had tried that, only to find that he would simply tune them out, sitting perfectly still as a student should. Vanishing was just being more literal. 

He reached his room and made a decision; when he made Commander, he would leave standing orders as to Griever's disposition. Here, perhaps, they could cut him down. In the real world, the Guardian Forces were ultimately subject to human control. He would do his damndest to make sure Griever did not turn on SeeD, could not be made to serve Ultimecia. Surely, serving Ultimecia was the 'price' that they had accepted. 

Seifer hadn't accepted it. And he wasn't going to. He would find out how to forcibly separate Guardian Forces, and he would make sure Griever got split in two before Ultimecia got her claws on it. But in the meantime...sure, they could play referee. 

He laid down on the bed in the indentation his body had made, and closed his eyes. 


	7. Statues on the Bluff

[07]Statues on the Bluff If eternity had seemed spooky, the Shumi Village was simply _alien_. Peaceful, yes, and in general so quiet that Zell was tempted to bring a boombox just for something to hear, but neither welcoming nor unwelcoming. The Shumi were humanoid, but not human. But they were, without question, the greatest craftsmen on the face of the earth - or under it. 

The others always loved to visit; the place always made Zell restless. Too quiet - nothing ever _changed_ here but the Shumi themselves as they evolved. Entering the overdome, they said their hellos to the Shumi who guarded the Ultima draw point, and opted to pay the fee to draw some. Zell was surprised to find he could draw twenty Ultima spells from the point; usually his luck was awful with draw points. 

**Have you forgotten us so soon?** came Leviathan's watery voice. **We are gifted with magic; therefore, so are you now.******

Zell blushed, earning curious looks from his companions. _Sorry, forgot for a minute there.___

He would have continued, but Leviathan didn't appear to be feeling chatty - it was just annoyed that he hadn't realized where the power had come from, it seemed. 

"Done chatting?" came Irvine's voice - the other two had started walking for the lift. 

"I was just taking it easy," Zell laughed. "I'll still beat you to the lift." Since it was the last chance to have a little fun before entering the Village proper, he sprinted for the elevator door, easily beating the other two there. He was mildly pleased to find he wasn't the slightest bit out of breath. 

The trip down the lift always took too long; Zell opted to challenge Bella to a little fighting practice to kill the time. Irvine stretched out on the seats with his hat over his eyes; something was bothering him, but he didn't seem to want to talk about it. When the lift stopped, he surprised Bella and Zell by being the first one at the door. 

"You two settle down while we're here," he said. "This is the only place where that gun could've been made, but I've never known the Shumi to go in for weapons manufacturing. We don't want any trouble until we find out why they made an exception." 

As they stepped out into the light of the underground Shumi Village, Zell asked, "How do you know it was made here, then?" 

"Because it shouldn't have worked at all, but it did. Only the Shumi could build a gun that decorative that would still shoot that straight." 

They went past the hotel and a few Shumi houses and people, who seemed to be as friendly as ever. Irvine made a beeline for the Elder's house, the red furred moomba at the door making welcoming noises as they entered. The Elder was standing, watching a scene on the screens built into his wall. 

"Welcome again," said the towering figure of the Elder. "What brings you back?" 

Irvine was suddenly reminded of their last trip here, when they had helped Sculptor build a statue...of Laguna._ Oh shit,_ he thought. _They don't know, and I hafta tell them._ He cleared his throat; as the team leader, he had to be the one to speak. 

"I...oh, damn," he said, giving up. Squall could pull off a formal announcement, but Irvine couldn't help thinking it would sound too cold. "I hate to be the one to tell you this, but a few weeks ago Laguna was shot - and the weapon that shot him had to have come from here. We're hoping you can tell us who made it, and for who, and why." 

The Shumi Elder's large eyes seemed to express sorrow very well, as it nodded acknowledgment. "He is dead now, from your tone." It was a question, a request for confirmation. 

"Ah, well...yes," Damn, being a leader sucked. 

"That is worthy of regret. He was a special person. But tell me - why do you think _we_ manufactured the weapon that killed him? Could you describe it for me?" The Elder moved to take a seat, apparently realizing that not having to look up a few feet to address him would put the SeeDs more at ease. 

Irvine took a deep breath, fighting the urge to pull his hat down over his eyes so he wouldn't have to look the Elder in the face as he laid out evidence that was tantamount to accusation. "Well, when Laguna was shot, Zell here was there. He told me about the gun; he got a good look at it since it was shooting at him too. Nobody makes guns like that that I know of, and I know the market pretty well. The thing was really decorative; lot of wood and brass, lot of carvings and etchings. But what clinches it is the sight; you look down a heart shaped cleft and line it up with an animal tooth. You shouldn't be able to hit the broad side of a barn looking down a sight like that. But this guy had pinpoint accuracy. Only the Shumi could make a gun that pretty that would work that well." 

The Elder's eyes closed for a moment, thinking. "Not quite true," he said. "The Grease Monkey of Fisherman's Horizon studied from us; he could also build such a thing. However, your guess was accurate. We did build such a weapon, several years ago. I am sorry to hear it was used in this way." 

Irvine turned to Bella; she unshipped a pencil and a notepad. He asked, "Could you tell us about it, and who you made it for?" 

"I, no," said the Elder. "But Artisan could tell you - Artisan was the one who designed and made the gun." And the Elder fell silent, apparently unwilling to continue the conversation. 

After a few minutes, the three slipped out. Artisan's house wasn't far, and they entered to find Artisan working with one of his model trucks. When he saw them standing in the doorway, he said, "Come in, come in! Do you bring me more news from Fisherman's Horizon?" 

"No," said Irvine, and nerved himself to repeat the story he'd told to Elder. "Could you tell us about this gun, why you made it, and who you made it for?" 

As he'd filled Artisan in on what his work had done, the Shumi's welcoming expression faded into one of sorrow. "Sculptor will be so angry with me," he said sadly, "that my gift makes his useless, that it did such harm. I am sorry to have made such a destructive thing." 

Irvine asked, "Well, why did you then?" noticing Bella quickly readying her notepad behind him. 

"Some years ago...perhaps five, perhaps eight...a hunter from Winhill found a badly injured moomba buried in a rockslide. He only knew moombas came from here, from Shumi Village. He did not know anything else about them; how to treat them, anything. But he used all his money to bring the moomba here for treatment, as fast as he could come. I wanted to express our gratitude for such kindness, and asked him to name a reward. He was a hunter, from a family of hunters, and said he wanted a gun. A special gun; something his family could display with pride when it was not being used, but one that would be of great help on his hunting trips. He described it to me, and I made it. I had never made a weapon before. I do not think I will make another." 

"Do you remember the hunter's name?" asked Irvine, hating himself for having to get more out of the obviously upset Shumi. 

"Klev, was the name he gave to me," said Artisan, and stood up. "Would you...would you tell Sculptor I am sorry? I must go to Elder, to see if he will advise me on what I may to do make up for this." And the Shumi shuffled as fast as it could out the door. 

Irvine blew out a long breath. "Did you ever think there were some days it just wasn't worth it to get out of bed?" he asked. 

The other two nodded. "More and more of 'em lately, too," said Zell. The three SeeDs filed out, heading for the last house; Sculptor's house. 

The bustle here was nonstop, but the best work went on in Sculptor's corner, in the far back. His masterwork stood there; a life-size statue of Laguna as he had been when he'd visited the village, some years before becoming President of Esthar. It gave Zell a bit of a shock to look at it; it really did capture the man's irrepressible personality. Then he heard Irvine's sharply intaken breath and looked beyond. 

Sculptor was working on another statue; this one was of Squall and Rinoa, again as they had been when the Shumi had seen them last. It wasn't finished, not even half-done - only their heads and chests had so far been freed from the marble. But every detail was perfect. Rinoa's face was openly happy, practically glowing. Squall bore his usual impassive expression, but his eyes blazed with passion and certain lines of his face gave an impression of peace, contentment. Zell felt a quick surge of conflicting emotion from Griever, then its presence faded. It seemed to be embarrassed. Zell was trying to shake the feeling someone was walking over his grave. He felt certain that the finished statue would represent them as they had been on that last morning, just before they had Joined. He wondered how Laguna had described it to Sculptor, for the result to be this perfect. He had a sudden desire to go pry Selphie's copies of Timber Maniacs away from her, to see whether Laguna's language skills had really been that good. 

Sculptor heard Irvine's gasp - even over the bustle of his studio - and shuffled over to greet them. "Hello, hello!" he said. "Do you like it? I have a long way to go of course, but it seems to be coming along well." 

"Umm...yeah..." managed Irvine. "Why are you carving them?" 

"Oh, this is a special request," said Sculptor. "Laguna visited here once a few years ago and saw my statue. He was so pleased with it, he asked me to try making one of your friends, that he could take back with him. I wasn't sure how it would work but I agreed. So far, it seems to be coming along nicely, don't you think?" 

Zell blinked. They _had_ made a state visit to the village a few years ago. Well, this explained where Laguna had slunk off to while Zell had been catching Artisan up on recent events. 

Irvine said, "Um, yeah," he managed, trying to pull his eyes away from the statue. "Look, I don't know how to say this, but..." and he filled Sculptor in on the assassination. As he finished, Sculptor reached for a chair and sat down. 

"So my statue is all that is left of him," said Sculptor sadly. "Artisan is right to feel upset; he should not have made a weapon, not for anyone. And what about this statue?" he indicated the work in progress. "What will we do with them now?" 

"I have an idea," said Zell suddenly. "We'll put them up in Winhill...up on the bluffs. For Ellone." Ellone had loved the statue of Laguna when she'd finally seen it. And she'd probably like the new one, too. 

Irvine looked over at him appreciatively. "Hey, that's a good idea," he said. "And we're heading for Winhill anyway - we could take the Laguna statue with us. If it's okay, Sculptor?" 

Sculptor looked at his finished work. "We made this statue for the Shumi, to learn about Laguna a little more," he said. "But now...perhaps it is time to share. I can make another statue to keep here in the village. Yes, you may take it with you. I will have it boxed up and it will wait for you at the top of the lift. I will let you know when the other one is done." 

Trying to keep from looking at the statue again, the three made their way back out into the village. Irvine put a hand on Zell's shoulder. "When you said...at the party...what they were like," he said quietly, "were they like that?" 

Zell nodded. "Exactly like that," he said. "You see why I didn't wanna argue?" 

"Yeah, buddy," replied Irvine. "I don't think I would have, either. Was Sis there?" 

Zell shook his head. "Just Laguna an' me," he said. "How he described them to Sculptor so...I wish I knew how he did that." 

"Remind me to lend you the Timber Maniacs Sefie's got squirreled away sometime," said Irvine. "Ego the size of a planet, but the guy could _write_." 

"If you two are finished walking down Memory Lane," teased Bella gently, "then perhaps we can get on with this. We've still got Winhill to cover." 

Grateful for a chance to laugh, Zell responded by tackling her to the ground, curving himself so she landed on top of him. 

After a few minutes, Irvine felt compelled to say, "Either you two let me join in, or quit playing laughing maniacs without me. We really hafta get going, you know." He put on a mock serious face to make the point. 

"Oh, all right," laughed Bella breathlessly, dust from the path in her hair. "I just needed to knock the seriousness outta laughing boy here." 

"THAT'S IT," roared Zell with a grin. "I'm _carrying_ you back to the Ragnarok - you are now my prisoner!" After a brief tussle, Bella was scooped up over Zell's shoulder, laughing and kicking like a prisoner of King Kong. 

As he hauled her away, Irvine said, "You know, that probably counts as a breach of regulations. But if you don't say anything, I won't." 

* * * * * *

By the time the trio reached Winhill, they had calmed down considerably. Partly this was due to the strain of carrying the statue from the top of the lift to the Ragnarok; marble wasn't exactly the lightest of substances to cart around. Unanimously they decided to leave it on the ship until they'd talked to Ellone, so that they'd only have to move it once. That they were going to talk to her wasn't even an issue for discussion; the people of Winhill were at least as insular and xenophobic as the people of Esthar, and probably wouldn't answer any of their questions without her help. 

Winhill was spread out, a collection of solitary houses along a single crossing of streets. Ellone lived next door to the building that had once been Raine's home and bar, the old house Laguna had lived in when he had stayed here. With her share of inheritance, she was busy renovating the old house; given that she'd only been here a few weeks she'd done remarkably. At the moment, she was pencil-marking a board, preparatory to cutting it. Irvine's jaw dropped. 

"Wow, Sis, I had _no_ idea you could do that," he said, amazed. 

Ellone looked up and smiled, though they could see she'd been crying. "Irvine," she said, "Zell. It's nice to see you again. What brings you to Winhill?" She set down her pencil and measurements, and came over to give them a hug. Bella watched curiously as Zell gave Ellone a hefty bearhug. He noticed her look and grinned. 

"It's okay, Bella," he said. "Ellone here is Squall's sister. Sorta _everyone's _sister, from the orphanage anyway. Ellone, you might not remember but this is my girlfriend Bella." 

Ellone reached out a graceful hand and Bella took it. "Of course I remember Bella," said Ellone. "She was the only reason you ever went on leave. Laguna ... thought that was very sweet. But I can guess why she might not remember me; you were always so eager to get away I think you forgot to introduce us. But still - why have you three come to Winhill?" 

"Well, it's SeeD actually," said Irvine. "We're tracing the gun that shot Laguna, and right now the trail leads here." 

Ellone stiffened briefly and closed her eyes, evidently fighting off tears. "...here?" she asked, almost whispering. 

"Hey, it's okay Sis, if you want to cry," said Irvine. "We wouldn't bother you with this if we had any choice, you know that. But this town's so down on strangers..." 

Ellone backed up a step, the back of her hand in front of her mouth as she tried to keep a handle on her grief. "No..." she said shakily, "it's all right. If I can help you catch him...I'll do anything I can. What did you come here to learn?" 

Irvine led her to a bench, and had her sit down. "We're here looking for a hunter named Klev, if you know of him? He owned the gun that did the shooting - at least, it seems to look that way." 

Ellone blinked away a few tears, and said, "I know Klev. He's a hunter, yes, but no killer. Not of people. He's one of the ones that hunts monsters near the village borders. He's very proud of his work. I think...I think I'd better go with you. He wouldn't react well to being accused of murder, especially by strangers. But he'll talk to me." 

"Sis...you sure you're up to it?" asked Zell worriedly. "You look kinda pale..." 

"You sound like Laguna," said Ellone shakily. "No...I'm fine, really. Once I can stop crying. Give me a few minutes, then we'll go, all right?" 

The three SeeDs opted to join her on the bench; Irvine to her right, Zell to her left, and Bella to Zell's left. Irvine said, "Sis, we brought you a present. D'you remember the statue of Laguna at the Shumi Village?" 

"Yes," said Ellone. "It was beautiful." 

"Well, when they heard what happened, they gave it to us. We thought you might want it." 

Ellone laughed, still a little shakily. "Oh, my," she said. "I'd love to have it in the square, but the villagers never did like him much. I think...I think it should go up on the bluffs." She turned to Zell. "Did he take you to the bluffs, Zell? It's beautiful there, this time of year." 

He nodded. "Yeah, we went there a few times. I let him go up there alone though. He didn't look like he wanted company." 

"Well then, before you leave, you should go there. Once I have this done," and she waved a hand in the direction of the house, "I'll set up a memorial there...someplace the statue could go and not get worn by the weather." 

Irvine commented, "Better make it big, 'cause the Shumi were working on another statue, too - and when it's done they'll send it here." 

To their surprise, Ellone nodded. "Yes, Laguna told me he had asked them to make another statue, but he wanted it to be a surprise. Don't tell me, if you know what it is. I'll wait." Her voice had grown mostly steady. "I think we'd better get moving," she said. "I can't seem to help going all to pieces sometimes." She stood up, and waited for them to join her. "Klev's house is this way," she said, pointing southward. She started walking, and the SeeDs easily kept pace. 

Klev's house was near the edge of town, as befitted a monster hunter. He seemed to make a point of using anything he could from the monsters he killed, which resulted in quite an unusual decor. But the people of Winhill did not like letting things go to waste, so it seemed to them to be right and proper. When Ellone knocked on the door he opened it, but scowled when he saw the SeeDs. It turned out Klev was a dark-haired man in his late thirties, sporting a loosely tied ponytail that fell to his waist. 

"Anything I can do for you?" he asked while standing in his doorway, pointedly not inviting them in. 

"Klev," began Ellone, "These are some of my friends, SeeDs from Balamb Garden. They're here to ask you about your gun." 

"You're acting like I only own one," the man snapped. "Be specific - _which_ gun? Or were you looking to buy one?" 

"A fancy gun with a lot of wood and brass and fancy carvings," said Irvine in a polite tone. "A gun with a sight made of a heart and an animal's tooth, made by the Shumi." 

Klev's eyes widened. "You found it?" he asked incredulously. "Which thief'd you nab it off of then?" 

"Found it?" said Zell. "Yeah, found it - found it pointing _at me_. Whaddaya mean, what thief'd we nab it off of?" 

"I mean that gun was _stolen_, a year and more ago," said Klev. "Some rich buggers from Deling City made off with it while they were vacationing here." He held up a hand. "And don't tell me they didn't do it; I had the gun before they came, and I didn't when they left. And there's no thieves in this town. Besides - who could hide a beauty like that?" 

"Could you tell us about those people, Mr. Klev?" asked Bella, unshipping her notepad and pencil. "The gun was used in an important crime; we need to find out who has it." 

"Long's you return it to me when you're done putting that thief behind bars, sure," said Klev. "The head of the house had dark hair, was kinda oldish, real big on his dignity. There were two kids with him, but I couldn't tell you whether both were his. You know rich folk, they just drop their kids off with a friend if they want to go on holiday. They both had dark hair, but that's not odd when you're talking about Deling City people. Oh, yeah - the guy had military insignia. Probably a general or something, but I don't know a lot about Galbadian military so that's just a guess." 

"You wouldn't have anything more...definite, sir?" asked Bella. 

"No," Klev growled. "Everyone left them alone, they like it that way, we like it that way. But one of those kids was a thief; my gun was hanging on its hooks when they got here, and it wasn't when they left. Now if you've nothing more I've got dinner cooking and I'd like to get back to it. Good day!" And he ducked inside his house and shut the door - almost, but not quite, a slam. 

Ellone shook her head. "I probably shouldn't have said you were SeeD," she said sadly. "That's one step below soldiers to some people. I just wasn't thinking..." 

Irvine put a supporting arm around her shoulders. "It's okay. We did better than we expected to; at least we have somewhere to go. We can ask General Caraway if he knows anyone that might fit that description, then check to see if any of them have the gun. We'll find the killer, don't you worry." 

Ellone sniffled a bit, but smiled. "How fragile I must seem to you all - you always seem to want to protect me. I'm staying in the hotel until the renovations are done, or I'd offer you a place to stay tonight. As it is, you're probably better off in your ship. Will you...keep the statue with you for now? I'll let you know when I've gotten a memorial ready to house it." She laughed sadly. "I'm probably the wealthiest person in Winhill now, thanks to Laguna." She paused. "I'd...like you to come to the bluffs with me tonight, if you would. Maybe you can tell me if what I've done is right - whether the others would mind." 

"Sure," said Irvine, and the others agreed. "Whenever you're ready." 

* * * * * * * * *

The four took the Ragnarok to the base of the hill, choosing not to land on the hilltop itself by common, silent agreement. There was a slight track leading up the slope, which they followed. 

The view from the hilltop was magnificent, laying out the entire village of Winhill, and providing an excellent vantage for watching the stars. A slow, steady wind always blew here, carrying a slight mist from the distant sea. The grasses were kept clipped short here, so that the plaques could be read. There were two of them; one for Raine and one for Laguna, set side by side. They carried no inscription other than the names and dates of birth and death, but they seemed to fit perfectly together. 

"I couldn't think of anything to say," said Ellone sadly. "It would never shrink down small enough to fit on a headstone." 

"I don't think he minds," said Zell, thinking of his ring. "I think he decided he's said all he needs to." He felt a slight feeling of approval; evidently his guess was right. 

"Selphie could probably think of something, if it bothers you Elle," said Irvine. 

"I may ask her, when I do the memorial," said Ellone. "But that wasn't what I brought you here to see." She indicated a space set apart, where they noticed a small stone statue. It was an angel, wings spread into the breeze, watching the stars, and at its feet crouched a lion, its stern visage watching the fields below. There were no names, but there didn't need to be. 

"That was what everyone called them," she said, sounding a bit embarrassed. "I tried, I really tried to think of something to say, but I just couldn't think of anything that I knew he would approve of. And I didn't really know Rinoa all that well...so when I found the statue, I thought maybe it would do until I could think of something." 

_You let Ellone think you were dead?_ Zell thought at Griever. _Now that is cold. I thought Laguna would have told her, so if he didn't it's because you told him not to. Damn, you can be a cold bastard sometimes._

**Yes, we told him not to tell her, **said Griever. **Better to have her believe that we are dead, than to know we live and can never speak with her. She is not a SeeD, Zell, and she never will be. Garden would never countenance her possession of a Guardian Force, even if that Force were us. **The voice was stern._ **Think**_** about it, Zell. What would it do to her, to know we live, but forever beyond her reach? That we have a voice she will never, can never hear? She would never let go. This way, she grieves and she moves on. **There was a rawness to Griever's voice, Zell noticed. Something that said this decision had cost them something. If there was one person besides Rinoa that Squall really did care about, it was Ellone. He did not like the idea of hurting her. 

_All right, all right,_ said Zell, but he didn't like it. _What do you want me to tell her about the statue? You should at least give her that._

Griever's presence in his mind expanded, making Zell blink for a minute. **Tell her...it suits us,** Griever said slowly. **At least, it suits how we see each other, even if not how we see ourselves.**

_Boy, how convoluted can you get,_ thought Zell. _I'll trim that down a bit so it fits in plain english, if you don't mind._

**As you will.** Griever's presence faded almost completely. It did not want to talk any further, it seemed. 

"It's just fine, Elle," said Zell at last. "It suits them. They wouldn't mind, I'm sure." 

Irvine shot him a look, but nodded. "Yeah...the others will probably agree with that. It suits them. Come on, Sis. It's getting dark, and I'd rather drop you off at Winhill proper than have you walk back in the dark." 

They did that thing, and opted to sleep in the Ragnarok over staying at the hotel. Irvine was practically pushing Zell out the door. 

"All right, what did they tell you," he growled the moment they boarded the ship. "I saw your face when Elle asked about the statue. You're damn lucky she wasn't looking at your eyes just then." 

Zell pushed Irvine away roughly. "They wouldn't have said a damn thing if I hadn't asked 'em," he snapped back. "They didn't want Elle to spend her life missing them, so they told Laguna not to tell her they're a Guardian Force. I bitched 'em out about it, and told 'em to give me an opinion on the statue for her. That's all." 

"And they had to go for a looksee, is that it? Your eyes looked like a cat's for a second there, and they sure as hell weren't blue. Don't you ever give me a scare like that again. I thought you were being possessed." 

"Yeah, they had to see for themselves what it looked like," said Zell, "and I'm not planning on doing it again, okay? So just _back off_." 

"If you two don't calm down, I'm going to call Seifer," said Bella. "You are both arguing the same side of the story; you don't like it that Ellone was made to believe Squall and Rinoa are dead. Fine, but we have a murderer to catch." 

Irvine immediately calmed down, became almost frigid. "Well you have that right at least," he said. "I _don't_ like having to keep stuff from Elle, and we do have a job to do. I hope you bitched 'em out good for this, Zell. She's a big girl, she could've taken the truth." And he spun around so quickly his brown trench coat flared out behind him, and stalked off for the sleeping quarters. 

Bella gripped Zell's forearm firmly. "It's all right, Zell," she said. "It's just grief. He didn't like seeing Ellone so unhappy, and neither did you. But she _isn't _grieving for her brother any more. That was too long ago to sting as much. She's grieving for Laguna, and he really _is_ dead. I think Irvine just wishes there were a way to undo that." 

"I know," said Zell. "It's just...I'm not always sure they did what was right for everyone. It was right for _them_, yeah...but maybe not right for everyone. So it hurts. And Laguna was my friend, so I'm maybe a bit off-balance right now." 

"Then go get some sleep," she said. "I'll take first watch." 

"Thanks," said Zell heavily, realizing he really was tired. He gave her a halfhearted hug, and headed for the sleeping quarters - hoping Irvine would choose to pretend to be asleep.   
  



	8. Change in the Posse

seifer2 Dawn in Esthar was quite possibly the most beautiful time of day, the city at its finest. Few people were up and about, the air was clear and cool, and the subtle hues of the dawn's light were reflected on the windows of every building in sight. 

However, none of the posse were big on sightseeing today. They were up this early because there was a lot of work to do, and they wanted to get it done as quickly and efficiently as possible. 

It had taken them days to finish sorting through Zell's contact list, and they now had a much better idea of what had been going on - and more importantly, why Zell had _not_ known what was going on. 

Quite simply, Zell was a trusting person. Being completely inept at lying himself, he tended to assume other people wouldn't lie either - at least, if they passed the initial inspection. At that point he considered them Good People and simply didn't check to make sure they were _still_ honest. 

There were little holes in the network all over the upper echelons of the military and nobility because of this blindness. Nothing major, for the most part. But enough that Seifer's report back to Garden included the recommendation that Zell _never_ be issued an assignment that involved creating and maintaining an information network again. Combat, Zell understood. One shot deals at information gathering, he was very good at. But long-term connections...no. It wasn't stupidity, though it was naiveté of the sort that had Seifer itching to punch him. Because now, the trail was harder to follow. 

At best guess, there were ten possible suspects; people who would have known which other people to bribe to keep an assassination plot quiet. The question now was, among those ten which were the guilty ones? 

_Profit_, Seifer thought. _Check the ones who have managed to gain the most first._

That translated to checking out the Presidential candidates, and the noble families who had had the most to gain by a shift in power - no matter who the shift might go to. 

So, today, they were going to check the golf courses. Seifer abandoned his trench coat - with some reluctance - in the hotel room. He wasn't going to be playing the guest today; he was going to be waiting in trees with a listening device. They had already learned everything they could through open channels; the nobles of Esthar seemed able to lie in their sleep. He would still be armed, but trench coats had an annoying tendency to get caught on branches. 

Esthar was highly stratified; there were people who 'looked' noble, and people who 'looked' like servants. So the other two got a much better deal than he did. He tried not to let his irritation with it show. Fujin, with her silver hair and pale eyes, _looked_ like a member of the Estharian elite. Given the fact that she was an orphan, she might really be one. But that didn't matter - what mattered was that she looked the part. They picked up a uniform at a military surplus store, and made her look like a retired officer; it wasn't perfect, but it would pass a civilian inspection. They couldn't make her look like a stay-at-home noble wife; her eye patch and her manner of speech were out of place for that. She would wander the course as a guest of the facilities, considering a membership. 

Raijin, coming as he did from the aboriginal tribes near the equator, got the raw end of the deal. He was so obviously foreign that he couldn't even pretend to be a citizen of the common class, the way Seifer could when he wanted to. Thankfully, that obvious difference made this sort of job easier; people said 'oh, a tribesman' and didn't bother to note that this _particular_ tribesman had never been seen on the grounds before. They just assumed he was an immigrant, and therefore a servant. If they didn't recognize him...well, who said you had to know the names of _all_ your servants? All Raijin had to do was make sure there was some blatantly obvious reason for him to be nearby - say, a window needing washing, or a carpet needing cleaning (and he had vials of various stain producing liquids hidden on his person to make sure he could be there all day) - and the nobles didn't think twice about him. Where Fujin got people to talk out of a desire to impress, Raijin got to hear what they really thought, because to the nobility, servants are invisible. Non-entities. 

The two just made sure that everything they heard got back to Seifer, who recorded everything and made counter notations on a pad for later fast-checking. At the moment he was spared having to sit in a tree; the roof of the country club had plenty of crevices where he could hide the recording equipment and receivers. Without his signature white trench coat, from a distance, and his gunblade safely hidden, Seifer made a creditable imitation of a roofer. Thankfully it was incredibly hard to inspect his disguise closely without getting onto the roof, and the guests never questioned maintenance personnel who looked busy, or thought them worth a mention to management. 

It was when the various golf games got fully underway that there would be sitting-in-a-tree time. At least rooftops were basically planar surfaces. 

"Seifer," came Raijin's whisper over the receiver. "How'm I gonna get outside? They're gonna notice I've been cleaning the same carpet for four hours, ya know?" 

"Stand with the caddies," said Seifer, just as quietly. "If they haven't noticed you don't belong there yet, they're not going to. You'll get hauled along as a caddy and get to listen to everything they say. Try to get in with a promising group." He had little sympathy to spare for Raijin's pride right now; his own was getting a severe bruising. And Fujin...ha. Fujin was discovering the joys of a multiple-word vocabulary. 

She was endeavoring to make people believe she had suffered a throat wound that made speech painful. The conversations that ensued were the only thing that kept Seifer's rising impatience in check; he'd have to see about selling copies back in Garden, the results were so funny. He glanced down; finally. The nobles who were planning on lounging here all day had finished their breakfasts, and were now beginning to form into groups to start their royal strolls - pardon, golf games - around the premises. He checked the caddy line; yes, there was Raijin, endeavoring to look positively overawed by all the wealthy people and eager to bend over backwards for a two dollar tip. Seifer suspected he'd be positively insufferable tonight; there was only so much humble pie _any_ of the posse could stand before they blew. 

Seifer chose an unobtrusive section of rooftop, gathered the gear, and nimbly leaped to the ground, starting to enjoy the benefits of Bahamut's advanced junction. He'd already spotted a good stand of trees; they were meant to serve as shade more than a golfer's trap, and he'd noted the benches beneath. By midday, it would be a very good place to pick up all sorts of comments. 

Of course, he had to get there. He couldn't pretend to be a club member; he didn't look the part. And he couldn't play the part of servant very well either. The solution was simple; he pulled a rifle out of his bag and pretended to be a groundskeeper hunting vermin. The only holes on a golf course are supposed to be the ones in the putting greens, right? 

Fujin noticed him, of course, from her gaggle of young female proto-warriors. She envied him the chance to move around without comment. Female military officers weren't all that rare in Esthar, but _noble_ female officers were. All the girls wanted to know how Fujin had lost her eye, and whether it would seriously impact her marriage prospects. The mindless chatter caused her good eye to blaze with repressed fury, but the idiot girls thankfully didn't notice. She encouraged them to talk about whatever was on their minds using as few words as possible, and had a hard time near the end of each hole when her strokes had to be gentle enough to not overshoot the mark. She was strongly tempted to wrap one of her clubs around the girls' necks. 

_Even a servant's role would have been better than this,_ Fujin thought. 

Raijin probably would not have agreed. He got picked up by a group of generals who'd decided to golf together after seeing Fujin from a distance and laughing over how easily noblewomen could be fooled. Of course, they thought Fujin was a noble daughter who wanted to join the military but had been forbidden, so she made up her own 'uniform'. It wasn't that uncommon. The generals completely ignored Raijin as he hauled their clubs - all of them - without complaint or comment. He heard a great deal that day, and a lot of it was useful, but after a full twelve-hour day hauling clubs in full sunshine without ever once being offered a break, or a place in some shade, or any water at all...Raijin was not a happy camper. 

And for all that work, they handed him five Estharian dollars. Enough, perhaps, to get one good drink at a bar. He played the grateful servant, grinning and bowing and muttering curses pleasantly in his native tongue as he memorized their faces. If they went to any of the local bars tonight, they were going to find out exactly what he thought of their 'benevolent generosity to the lower classes'. 

* * * * * * *

Back at the hotel, none of the three were all that happy with what they'd had to do. However, it had gotten the job done - Fujin's 'friends' had eliminated three of the possible suspects without ever realizing it. Raijin's generals had actually _added_ evidence against two of the suspects, and Seifer's rooftop listening and treetop eavesdropping had cleared four of the suspects. 

So, of ten possible, seven were cleared and two were highlighted, with one suspect never mentioned at all. So...really...they were down to three. Seifer turned to Fujin. "Can you make anything of these three?" he asked her. 

"Why not strike the quiet one off the list, ya know?" asked Raijin. "Why make more work?" 

"Because if there's no news of the guy, it could mean he's innocent - or it could just mean he's very good at covering his tracks," said Seifer patiently - he knew pretty well what his posse had had to put up with today. "Raijin, you've done all you needed to do on the job today. You're no good to me until you get your head on right. Go bash some heads at the pool hall - but stay out of sight of the authorities, if you can. If I have to get your ass out of jail, you're going to think caddying for the nobles was a walk in the park." 

Raijin grinned like a wolf offered a steak. "See you later," he said, and made a break for the door. Seifer stretched out on his bed, thinking. Fujin looked at him oddly. "MERCY?" she asked. 

He turned his head to look at her. "Yeah, I suppose so," he replied. "You think you had it bad with the idiots, but I don't think either of us could've pulled off Raijin's job. If he hadn't had Quezalcoatl junctioned he'd probably have fainted from heatstroke. I'm no fan of hiding in corners and branches, but he had to hide in plain sight." Seifer yawned and stretched, catlike, then turned on one side to look at Fujin. He looked every inch a prince and knew it. "Why, d'you think I oughta pound him so you feel better?" 

Fujin looked down at her work; she'd thought exactly that. Seifer had mellowed a great deal toward his posse in recent years, having learned the value of two people he could count on to do their utter best for him. Which wasn't to say he wasn't still capable of the sort of considered nastiness that had earned him his fearsome reputation...but at least now the posse knew they'd have to screw up before it was directed at them. But he was really no better at interpersonal relationships than Squall had been; he would never address a problem until it was brought to his attention, preferring to assume people could solve their own problems unless they admitted otherwise or it interfered with their work. "ZELL?" she asked him. 

But Seifer was an old hand at interpreting her questions. "No, that's not mercy, Fuuj," he said flatly. "And you'd better believe I'm gonna get this day's fun out of his hide - we shouldn't have had to do this much work, and wouldn't have had if he could run a decent network. He got the job of Laguna's bodyguard because Laguna requested him - and I know _exactly_ why he did - but this could give SeeD a black eye. There's no mercy for shit like that, Fuuj. I'm gonna drop the whole goddamn regulation book on him." 

Fujin nodded; that sounded more like the Seifer she knew and respected. She bent her head to her laptop again, sorting through the tapes made of the day's more interesting conversations. Seifer watched her for a while, eyes narrowed. 

**Why do her words bother you?** came Bahamut's voice in his thoughts, the dragon-roar politely quiet. 

_Since when did GFs get interested in human relationships?_ retorted Seifer. 

**Since the human in question drew first blood in combat against us,** said Bahamut. **You are correct; your companion required mercy; the holder of Griever does not. Why would her question bother you? You are the leader.**

Seifer rolled onto his back, keeping his eyes closed so Fujin would think him asleep, and considered the question. Bahamut was right; the question shouldn't have bothered him. Maybe it was the look in Fujin's eye. He could see her fury earlier today, when the girls had surrounded her. She had held up as well as Raijin in a role not suited to her, but Raijin could get his anger out of his system with a few rounds of combat pool. Fujin was, by her very nature, controlled to an almost pathological degree. She'd hoped he would pound Raijin so that she could get some of that fury out of her without losing her own control. It was an odd thing for her to expect; he regarded his posse as a unit - you didn't sacrifice one part of the unit to save another. 

_...I suppose I'm wondering what she was expecting of me,_ Seifer eventually answered. 

**We can answer that,** came Bahamut's dry reptilian chuckle. **It is given to us to see the future, sometimes.**

_So you weren't just fooling around when you told Griever that they would die alone?_ Hm. That would bear thinking about at a future date. 

**No, we were not lying - and they know we were not. Griever chose its name wisely; one of them will take that name when the other dies. But you...of your line will rise the last SeeD to lead the fight against Ultimecia, before the world changes. It is for this reason as much as anything else that we wished to grant you the fight; we wish to know you.**

A cold chill went up Seifer's spine. He'd never even considered having more than a one-night stand with anyone, never mind founding a 'line'. _Yeah, well, you're starting to make me think this wasn't such a brilliant idea,_ he retorted. _Let me guess - Fujin's the mother of this 'line' you've seen?_

Again that dry reptilian chuckle. **You are wiser than you admit to yourself, Seifer Almasy.**

The presence in his mind faded. Bahamut had said all it was willing to say. Seifer was tempted to release his junction and tell Xu to run every GF through the recycler. 

"SEIFER," came Fujin's voice, causing Seifer's green eyes to snap open. He sat up, and saw Fujin indicating her laptop's screen. 

Grateful for something work related to focus on, he looked over her work. Three remaining suspects; the one who had compromised the military network, who was running for President, was one of them. One was a noble who had connections to most of that general's command, and could probably have engineered the same results. The third..."Fuuj, who's this guy and why's he on the list?" 

Fujin reached around him and pressed a few keys. There were no direct connections to the rest of the list of contacts...but Zell had said none of his contacts knew each other. This fellow...wasn't even Estharian, but had indirect friend-of-a-friend connections to many people on Zell's contact list, besides being one himself. That was highly suspicious - _if_ the man knew they were contacts. That would be tomorrow's work; sorting out which of the three were involved... 

Damn Bahamut. The Guardian Force's prophecy had completely rattled Seifer; Fujin was _posse_. What the hell was he supposed to do, just walk around with knowledge like that in his head and wait until Fujin decided to approach him? Why tell him here? Why now? _Why_ _in the middle of a goddamned murder investigation_? 

Then it clicked. Of course - Bahamut had said it knew why Fujin had asked such a strange question. That was why; she had been half hoping he would choose her over Raijin. 

Fujin was posse. But so was Raijin; he wouldn't choose one over the other in that sense. 

But in another sense...well, Raijin just wasn't his type. Fujin was posse; she'd proven more than once she could hold her own, even against him. She would have been a rival if she hadn't opted to completely support his decisions the way she did. It had never occurred to him, before now, to wonder why she might choose to do so. 

Ah, what the hell. At rock bottom worst, Fujin would kick him in the shins. The resulting wrestling match would probably settle any GF prophecies once and for all, and then he wouldn't have to worry. It surprised him briefly to realize that he _was_ worrying; one-night-stands were one thing, but if he started something in the posse things would never be the same. He knew better than just to _ask_ her if she wanted him; he might not be up to par on working out the laws of love, but he was a past master at the laws of pride; she'd kill herself before making an admission like that without assurance it was returned. 

"SEIFER?" Fujin asked - and he realized he was still staring at the screen. 

He stood up, and said, "That's tomorrow's work, Fuuj. We should be able to work out who's doing what after some shuteye." 

On the other hand...when the panther hungers, it doesn't just lie around waiting for lunch to walk under its perch. Squall might choose to lock himself in an icebox until a girl was interested enough to open the door, but Seifer was made of a different stuff. He looked Fujin right in the eye for a moment, looking for any sign she might reject him. It's always the eyes that give one away... 

Fujin's lips parted slightly as she returned his stare. She didn't flinch away; she looked ready for a fight - any fight. 

Seifer grinned, and when Fujin's eyebrows went up he wrapped his arms around her and took her lips in a fierce, deadly kiss. 

And Fujin returned ferocity for ferocity, deadliness for deadliness. Oh, indeed, an equal. At last, and right under his nose, an equal. He couldn't stand women who simpered; Rinoa had pretty much turned him off the type permanently. Ultimecia had been a positive _relief_ after her constant 'talk about your feelings' chatter. He hadn't been kidding when he wished Squall joy of her; if she hadn't become a Sorceress he would've said good riddance a lot sooner. But Fujin...Fujin was a _warrior_; first, last, always. An _equal._

As they tumbled onto the bed, Seifer's last coherent thought was a vague hope Raijin was out for a _very_ late night... 

* * * * * * * *

Raijin stumbled in several hours later, to find Seifer and Fujin tangled together amid what looked to be several sheets twisted together. Since neither looked injured, and he was both very tired and very drunk, he just flopped down on one of the other beds - he couldn't remember offhand which one was supposed to be his - and let sleep take him. 

* * * * * * * *

The next morning, all three were much better for their various steam-blowing activities. Not a word was said about any of them, aside from Seifer's inquiry as to whether Raijin had managed to have his fun without encountering any authorities. That settled, they got down to business. 

"A noble, a general, and a who knows what," said Seifer casually. "You know, I'm sick of splitting up. We can cover three people without going one one one - and one of these is the guy we want. Anyone want to pick the first guy we harass?" 

"The general," said Raijin, with a wicked look in his eyes. "After yesterday, my opinion of Estharian generals has reached a new low, ya know?" 

Seifer laughed. "Fine by me. General...", he checked the notes, "Torben, it says here. Presidential candidate." 

"Rat bastard pain in the ass," said Raijin. When the other two looked at him in surprise, he said, "That was what they called him yesterday. What, you mean that didn't make it onto the tape? They said it often enough." 

Seifer held up a hand. "Just wondering how personal you wanted to get with this guy," he said. "All right, we'll take care of him first. I want to know exactly what he has charge of, how he got so much of the military network under his thumb, and whether he had authority over security anywhere involving Laguna, or any way into or out of Esthar. I'll talk to him. You two...Raij, you're going to distract the first halfway pretty military secretary you can, so Fuuj here can play with their files a bit. Be gay if you have to." 

"I can _pray_ for a pretty girl, can't I?" pleaded Raijin. "Only the last time..." 

"All complaints go back to SeeD, Raij," said Seifer flatly. "You're on duty now. Make time on your own time." 

"Yes, sir," snapped Raijin. "All right, let's go before I get cold feet, ya know? I just hate it when the secretary's a guy..." 

It didn't take them long to reach the general's residence, but they had no chance of getting in. There was a veritable army of reporters already camped by the door, waiting for the candidate's sound bites. The three didn't bother planting a listening device; they'd do better to head to the newsrooms and check out raw footage. Instead, verifying that the general had indeed gone to work that day, they headed for the local recruiting office, whose upper floors worked as a sort of military HQ. Laguna had never been big on a standing army, so the building was fairly nondescript and relatively unimpressive. 

They got in by simply posing as possible recruits; once they got a guest pass they just 'accidentally' hit the wrong floor button. Security was lax, but not _that_ lax; there were armed guards waiting for them when the elevator door opened. Seifer grinned. 

Whenever Seifer grinned, trouble was in the making for someone. This time was no exception. The posse leaped into action, and inside fifteen seconds their 'armed' escort no longer was. Seifer shouted, "If this is the best you can do, you need more help than I can offer! But if you want to hear me, you better not send any more, 'cause if you try that stunt again I won't feel so nice." 

The posse both shot him uneasy looks. Threatening the military within their own headquarters wasn't usually counted as being among the most intelligent of maneuvers, even given the current state of the Estharian military. But they had a mission to do, so with reluctance the two backed away from Seifer and got into the elevator. They needed computer access; the recruit handler on the first floor was easy to get to and would have the required access. At least, it would after Fujin got to play with it. 

Seifer waited alone in front of the elevator, in a ready stance, his hand not at all far from Hyperion's molded-grip hilt. The idea was to show strength, not force it down their throats, but a wounded jackal was sometimes not amenable to reason. 

After a few moments, General Torben came out of one of the many doors on the floor, easily recognizable from his press photographs. "It is not the best we can do," he said calmly, "but if we had done our best we would never learn what you were after. Come in. I can see you are not a member of the press." 

Keeping his hand near Hyperion's hilt, Seifer strolled after him as though the building were a newly conquered province. 

* * * * * *

Raijin persuaded the person at the desk - thankfully a woman, though not that pretty - to join him for 'just a little cup of coffee'. He was almost as good as Seifer at charming people; much better than Seifer at charming certain types of people. Fujin moved quickly, copying files left and right onto a portable drive, running a little cracker program to get her passwords to the highest ranking accounts. It was a standard of every chain of command, military or civilian, that the highest ranking people got the best security clearance, and usually had the worst imagination when it came to passwords. A mere minute netted her the accounts of several generals; she copied the contents of their accounts, mail included, and quickly covered her tracks. 

By the time Raijin and his new 'friend' had finished their cup of coffee, Fujin was standing near the door and everything looked normal. Raijin flashed her a signal that indicated he'd managed to stick a magnet on the security camera's case as he'd taken the recruiter away, so there would be no visual evidence of her tampering. She nodded acknowledgment. Raijin chatted pleasantly with his 'friend' until Seifer strolled out. Both of them could see that something was bothering him, but waited until they were out of sight of the office to ask. 

"You guys get what we came for?" he asked. They nodded. 

"Piece of cake," said Raijin. 

Seifer nodded slowly. "Yeah, that's what's bugging me," he said. "This was too easy. That guy Torben acted like I was doing this as a media stunt. He should've been spitting fire." He shook his head. "We'll work it out. Let's get the other two taken care of." 

* * * * * * *

The noble was quickly eliminated; although she had the contacts, Seifer could tell the difference between true ignorance and feigned ignorance. The girl simply liked boys in uniform. She had no idea of the power in her grasp through her friends, and it seemed her various paramours liked to keep it that way. She did mention an interesting tidbit though; one of her friends had gotten another friend an illicit night off the week before the assassination. What caught the posse's attention was that the 'night off' had happened over a watch posting at the Airstation. A roster shift had occurred with no official record. On further questioning, she had a few more instances where she had done such favors for her 'friends', and was quite willing to tell them about it. To her, it was a completely harmless thing. 

Seifer suspected she was being set up; this girl wasn't bright enough to see why the shifts were being requested. But she _was_ very friendly, and had just enough influence to do this much...for someone else. 

That just left the unknown. According to what they'd dug up so far, his name was Soares Detmer, and he was a Galbadian. Not much was known about him in Esthar; Seifer made a note to let Irvine know the guy needed investigating. He had been vacationing in Esthar for some six months and more now, and was well known everywhere as a partygoer of the most extreme sort. They spoke with him briefly, but could come to no definite conclusions about him. Other than Raijin; Raijin decided very quickly that he couldn't stand the guy. But he couldn't say why. It was just 'one of those things, ya know?' 

Lastly, they double checked the roster assignments at the Airstation against what the noble daughter had told them. In each case, someone not under Torben's command had been replaced with someone who was, all official documents kept silent. 

Back at the hotel again, they tried to compare notes. Torben had gained profit from Laguna's death; he was now in the running for the Presidency. He had had opportunity to engineer that death, by smuggling someone in at the Airstation. But then things fell apart. The noble who had taken care of the switches could also have smuggled someone in; it was well-nigh impossible to convince a jury of an accused person's stupidity, which would be the only defense the girl could make. Nothing proved that Torben actually knew or cared about the duty roster switches; it was a common enough military practice when dealing with friends from different units. It had gone on in Garden too. So while he did profit from it, there was no way to prove he'd engineered it. 

And there was Detmer. Everyone knew Detmer, it seemed. He was a son of a wealthy House in Galbadia, so the nobles liked him. He was an avid partygoer, which ingratiated him with the common people. And he seemed to have garnered respect in the military, though that link was more vague. 

Seifer growled. "This is it," he said. "We have to know what Detmer's link to the military is. They don't respect anything unless it earns it, and Popping The Most Pills And Living To Tell About It wouldn't count for squat. We haven't got any other avenues of proof open; we'll try this one. Fuuj, see if you can't dig something up in the files we lifted. Raijin...head back to your pool halls, and see what you can dig up on Detmer and his recent activities. 

Raijin cocked his head to one side. "You want a late night, Seifer?" he asked. It was the closest he'd gotten all day to addressing the change in the posse. 

Seifer stared at him. Raijin wasn't acting hurt or jealous, which was good. He was almost acting...smug. Like he'd set the whole thing up, which Seifer knew wasn't possible. The blond leader had no idea why Raijin would act that way, but...what the hell. A blessing is a blessing, and who was he to argue? "Yeah, you should be out...oh, at least till midnight, if you're doing the job right. Try to stay sober enough to remember what they tell you this time, okay?" 

Raijin grinned and headed out. Seifer turned to Fujin, who was wearing an uncharacteristic smile; a small, secret smile that said she understood. 

"Care to fill me in on the joke?" he asked. 

"WORSHIP," said Fujin, and nodded slowly as Seifer threw back his head and laughed. Raijin had never wanted to be Seifer's equal. He worshiped Seifer as his personal mentor and god, much as Zell had done with Squall. Which wasn't to say he wasn't a great fighter - he was. He just knew he wasn't, would never be, in Seifer's class. Raijin joined the posse to be near his idol; whatever made Seifer happy - so long as it didn't screw him up mentally - was fine by Raijin. So he was fine with the change in the posse. 

Fujin had joined the posse to become Seifer's equal. And she had known, always, that she was. A leader could not lead alone; they needed like minds to catch the things they missed, point out opportunities. Squall had never had an equal in that sense; his entire group put together served the role since none of them could do so individually; occasionally, he'd even had to abandon them entirely in order to bounce things off of Seifer. Seifer didn't need as many people, because in Fujin he _had_ his equal. She _could_ lead; she just didn't _want_ to. But she wouldn't hesitate to step in if she thought Seifer was heading into dangerous ground. Seifer had not forgotten that it was Fujin who had persuaded him to listen to Squall's friends when Alicia had given him the power of Ifrit. He had not forgotten how tirelessly Fujin had worked with Selphie - a person Fujin could hardly stand to be around - to work up a counteragent when she'd proven that Alicia's gift was lethal. And he had not forgotten that it had been Fujin who prevented a fight breaking out when his own power had faded and Squall's had remained. 

Seifer grinned at her. This time, it was Fujin who was the first to act - but Seifer responded so quickly any observer might have thought they were dancers moving to a choreographed tune.   
  



	9. Smoking Barrel

The trip to Deling City was the quietest ever recorded in the Ragnarok. Bella took the pilot's seat and concentrated on her flying, because neither of the other two were up to that degree of concentration since the bluffs. 

Irvine was fighting down a powerful anger, and displayed it by stalking all over the huge craft with his fists clenched. He knew it wasn't Zell's fault that Squall and Rinoa had chosen to live apart for the rest of their lives, and he knew he couldn't take it out on anyone else. But he still had an almost uncontrollable urge to throttle someone, and at the base of that urge was fear. Ellone had been crying, and he couldn't make it better. Irvine couldn't stand it when women cried. He would do anything, _anything_, to make them stop. He wished he could bring back Laguna, but that was impossible. 

He didn't think merely catching her adoptive father's killer would bring the smile back to Ellone's face. There was no desire for vengeance in her. So he wanted to make Griever into Squall and Rinoa again. That would make Ellone smile, wouldn't it? But he couldn't. Zell held Griever's junction, and Zell was _very_ good at obeying orders. He would regard any request from those two as being of the highest priority; Squall was, to all practical purposes, Zell's _god_. 

Denied any useful outlet for his anger, Irvine was reduced to pacing the corridors of Ragnarok. And trying, vainly, to think ahead. On his third circuit through the cockpit, Bella said, "Could you give me a minute please?" 

Irvine paused. "Anything, if it'll take my mind off Winhill," he said, and chose a seat. 

"Actually, I don't know if it'll do that," said Bella hesitantly, "but I think it's important. I don't think we should stay with General Caraway when we arrive at Deling City." 

Irvine blinked. "Why not? He's still on our side, isn't he?" 

Bella smiled. "It's not that," she said. "It's more to do with Zell, and Griever. I don't think you understand what happened back on the bluffs." 

Irvine blew out a gusty sigh. "Squall's being an ass, that's what happened," he said heavily. "Why, what else was going on?" 

"Irvine, Zell didn't confront Griever because he was angry with Squall and Rinoa," Bella said. "He's already told you he thinks that was the right choice for them to have made, even if he doesn't like the side effects. He confronted Griever because Ellone was unhappy and uncertain, and he wanted to make her happier." 

"Yeah, so? What does that have to do with - oh, I see." Irvine looked thoughtful. "You figure, if Caraway gets Zell alone - him being the last reported person to see them alive - that he'll do it again for Rinoa's dad. Yeah?" 

Bella nodded. "Zell likes people to be happy, and he has a greater respect for family than most of you do. I think he'd probably confront Griever again to give Caraway some comfort - only Caraway is not as simple or trusting as Ellone." 

Irvine thought through the implications of General Caraway working out that Rinoa wasn't as dead as she was reported to be. He didn't like what he saw; the idea of how GFs came to be becoming general knowledge didn't sit well at all. Sorceresses would end up becoming national treasures - better maybe than the objects of fear they currently were, but if both Sorceress and Knight had a strong national bond, wouldn't the GF too? And if GFs could be used as a national weapon, some bonehead out there would certainly try it..."We've got to stay at a hotel," he said quickly, "And make sure Zell isn't left alone with Caraway. Zell's too trusting, and while the general's not a bad guy he could wrap Zell around his finger if it were over Rinoa. Good thinking, Bella." 

She managed to shrug while piloting. "I know my Zell," she said simply, with a hint of laughter. 

Irvine nodded and leaned back, trying to deal with a world gone suddenly complex. It was so much easier to deal with people when you weren't actually _involved_ with them..._and now you're thinking like Squall, you jackass_, he told himself. _And we know where thinking like that leads, now don't we?_

In the end he pulled his hat over his eyes and tried to sleep. 

Zell spent the entire trip in one of the hullward cabins, practicing his combat moves and staying safely out of sight. He wasn't _avoiding_ anyone - the ship was large, but not that large. It was just that he didn't really know where he stood when it came to Ellone, and he didn't want to have to pick a side until he knew which one he agreed with. He resolutely avoided speaking to the GFs in his head, knowing that they wouldn't speak to him unasked unless it was something important or related to their own special powers. He'd never been this confused in his life. 

For the first time, he wondered who he'd choose to save if Bella and Ma Dincht were both in trouble and he could only help one. It was an unlikely situation, of course - which was why he'd never considered it. But now...after Winhill...he was seeing what that choice did to people. Squall had chosen Rinoa over his father, his sister, and his friends. Well - choosing Bella over any of his other friends, nobody would fault him for that, and he didn't really blame Squall for choosing that either. It was expected that love was greater than friendship, no matter how good the friendship was. 

His twists, punches and strikes took on an extra dimension of ferocity when he remembered Ellone's tear-streaked face, the hint of sorrow in Laguna's voice whenever he'd mentioned his son. Zell could understand Squall choosing Rinoa over Laguna; yeah, he was his dad, but he'd never been there the way Ma Dincht had been around for Zell himself. Zell felt that parenthood wasn't a matter of genetics, it was a matter of time. Ma Dincht wasn't his real mom, he knew that, but she'd adopted him and taken care of him until he left for Garden the way _any_ mother should do, and Zell loved her for it. Laguna hadn't done that - no real fault to the guy for not knowing, but still. 

But Ellone...Ellone had been there for Squall when they were little, and she hadn't left by choice. And she'd used her power over great distances to try and give her brother back his past, and let him know his father. She hadn't been able to be a full sister to Squall and the others, what with Adel and all, but by damn she'd done her best. She'd done pretty well, given that she was never trained as a SeeD. 

That was the heart of the dilemma. When it came right down to it, did Zell agree with his friend's choice? He thought about Bella - how he felt about her, and how he felt about his mom. How did you choose which love was more important? 

_I don't think I could choose,_ he decided, stopping his routine and catching his breath. _And I'm glad as all hell I'll probably never have to._

He looked up as he felt the ship change direction and velocity. Course correction; they had to be near Deling City now. He sprinted down the corridors, heading for the cockpit; rules were rules, and one of them was to get briefed before disembarking. 

Zell was almost completely incapable of silence in an urban environment. Put him in a jungle or other earthy terrain and he could actually sneak around incredibly well. Put him on an artificial surface - be it plastic, steel, asphalt, or whatever - and he seemed to think there was no reason for caution. So Irvine was wide awake and looking alert when Zell bounded into the cockpit. 

"We about there, Bella?" he asked, and got her nod in reply. 

"Give me five minutes, Zell, and we'll be landed." 

"Cool-ness," he grinned. "I haven't seen Deling City in a loooong time. Hope the evening shows are still as cool." 

Irvine tipped his hat up with one finger. "Zell, if you say _one more thing_ that makes me sound like Squall when I answer it, I will personally shoot you a new part in your hair, got it?" he said, sounding tired and a little exasperated. "We're here to find that gun, and hopefully the gunman. We're not here to attend the shows, although I agree with you that the ones with the ladies wearing feather bikinis were pretty cool. Okay?" 

Zell shot his friend an evil look. "Your call, O Great Leader," he said with just the slightest hint of sarcasm. "But I'm personally gonna be missing those shows - _oooof_!" he was interrupted by Bella's well-placed elbow, right under the ribs. 

"You wouldn't be wanting to see naked women when you've got _me_, would you Zelly-poo?" she asked in a too-sweet voice. His eyes widened; he knew the Tone of Threat. If he answered wrongly, she'd tickle him breathless. 

"Umm..." he managed. "Could I get back to you on that?" And immediately darted to the back of the cockpit, where Bella couldn't reach him since she was piloting. 

Irvine just laughed quietly. The two were reminding him of Selphie, back in Garden, and how much he missed having those kinds of arguments with her. "All right, briefing," he said, as Bella took the Ragnarok in for a landing. "We're going to stay at the Galbadia Hotel while we're here - and don't argue," he said, noticing Zell's puzzled look. "First thing is we contact General Caraway and see if he can give us any leads on this guy Klev described for us, and the kids. From there...well, we'll have to see." 

Ragnarok landed gently, hardly a bump at all as it settled on the ground. "Landing complete, opening hatchway," said Bella, flicking a few switches. 

"Woohoo!" said Zell, and darted for the exit. "Fresh air, here I come!" 

Irvine turned to Bella. "You didn't tell him all about your last mission, I take it," he said. 

She shook her head. "No time, really," she said apologetically. "He'll figure it out." 

Rather more sedately, the two followed Zell's lead. 

* * * * * * * *

Zell lost most of his desire to go running around at top speed when he got a lungful of Deling City air. "What the hell happened _here_?" he asked incredulously, coughing. 

Bella said, "My last mission, basically. They're trying to perfect a gas bomb to take out the anacondaurs. I got them some malboro gas-sacks, and they're experimenting with it. Don't breathe too deeply." She herself had prudently unpacked a mouth-filter, and was breathing through it. 

"No fear!" hacked Zell. "Jeez, you coulda warned me." 

Bella handed him a filter, and he noted that Irvine was already wearing one. Somewhat huffily, he put it on, and they continued on toward Caraway's residence in silence. 

Caraway greeted them politely, although he seemed somewhat surprised. Quickly he ushered them into the vestibule, where they could remove their filters and speak freely. 

"What brings you here this evening, SeeDs?" he asked in the clipped voice common to career military men. 

Irvine shot a look at the others, and decided this was just one more thing he'd have to do as Leader. "I'm sure you keep abreast of important events in other nations, sir," he began. 

Caraway looked puzzled for a moment. "Yes, of course I do," he said. "You mean that your being here has to do with the unfortunate events in Esthar recently?" 

"Got it in one, sir," nodded Irvine. He couldn't get out of the habit of respect for the Galbadian uniform; Galbadia was his home. It did at least seem to make Caraway easier to deal with. "We've been assigned to tracing the murder weapon, and so far the trail leads here. We're hoping you can help." 

Caraway nodded. "Anything I can do, of course. But we shouldn't talk here; come, there are better seats in the study." And he led the way down one of the hallways of his home. Shrugging at his team-mates, Irvine shortly followed, setting the other two in motion. 

At least for a few minutes. Zell had opted to go last in the file, as it gave him the chance to sneak up on Bella. So the others weren't exactly sure what caused him to groan - they didn't hear him hit anything - but when they turned around, he was staring wide-eyed at one of the innumerable trophies and knickknacks hung on the wall. He didn't seem to notice when Bella put her hand on his arm, concerned. Irvine followed his friend's gaze to see what the problem was. 

There, on the wall as though it were any other pretty trinket, was a gun. With a bright steel barrel, and ornamental etched brass side-plates, and deeply polished hardwood for the butt. And a sight made of a little brass heart at one end, and a needle-sharp animal's tooth at the other. A beautiful piece, but not one that Irvine would ever have bet could shoot straight. 

At least, he wouldn't have, if he hadn't already known it shot Laguna. 

There was a moment of silence as the three stared at the weapon, then Bella said, "Zell?" in a confused tone that drew Irvine's eyes away from their prize. Zell was starting to wobble, just a bit, and then his cornflower blue eyes started to _change_. Irvine immediately moved to stand between the approaching Caraway and Zell - no telling what would happen if word of _that_ little freakshow got out. 

But he needn't have worried. Only a few seconds after the gold cat-eyes of Griever made a demonic mockery of Zell's face, his eyes closed altogether and he slumped forward - so suddenly that Bella almost didn't catch him. 

"What's wrong?" asked Caraway, concerned. "Is he all right? Did he breathe too much of the air outside?" 

Irvine looked at his unconscious friend and tried not to worry. Zell in an unmoving state was just _creepy_. "Sir, I think it has more to do with the fact that the weapon that put him in the IC unit a few weeks ago is hanging on your wall. Care to tell us how it got there?" There was a hard edge in his voice now; Caraway could fit the description Klev gave - except for the kids - and he had the gun. That made him Suspect Number One, no matter how friendly he'd been in the past. 

But Caraway seemed genuinely surprised. "That gun?" he asked. "But it's been on my wall for months now." He shook his head. "First things first - let's get your comrade to a couch. A good draught of brandy will clear his head, I'm sure." 

Bella and Irvine shared a look, and both shook their heads rapidly. "Nooo," said Irvine carefully, "I _really_ think giving him alcohol is a bad idea," he said. "Almost as bad as sugar or caffeine. Trust us. Cold water will do just fine." And without another word, he picked Zell up by the shoulders, leaving Bella to get his legs, and they unceremoniously hauled him after the puzzled Caraway, heading for the study. 

* * * * * * *

Zell could think before he could see. He'd never fainted before in his life, so it was a new experience to be able to hear voices around him, but not be able to move any part of his body. 

_You did this, didn't you,_ he growled at Griever. _What the hell didja have to go and knock me out for?_

Griever's voice was unapologetic - though it _was_ a tad concerned - as it said, **You were not rational, for a moment there. You were on the verge of attacking Caraway. We took the only option we had.**

_But he's got the gun!_ wailed Zell. _He's a general, just like Klev said, and he's got the gun hanging right there on the wall! Don't you dare tell me it's not the same one!_

**Calm down,** growled Griever, **or we will be forced to give you another nap.**

_Leviathan, isn't this sort of interference against the rules?_ said Zell, trying a different tack. _I've never heard of GFs knocking their holders out before._

Leviathan's watery voice was hesitant as it said, **There are no rules for this. The advanced junction gives you greater power, but it also affords us a greater degree of control, if we choose to use it. Griever does not _always_ need your permission to take over your senses, just as you do not _always_ need to ask for the use of our powers.**

**We did what we did for your ultimate good,** came the feline voice of Griever again. **We are your friends; we would not take such a step unless we needed to. But you must realize that Caraway cannot be guilty - or that if he is, you need more proof.**

_You know, sometimes I really wonder about you guys,_ said Zell. _But okay. I promise I won't flatten Caraway without orders from Irvine or Seifer. Now can I please wake up?_

**We weren't holding you down,** came Griever's voice, then it faded away. 

Something absolutely putrid was shoved under his nose, and Zell was gratified to find out that he could get the hell away from it. 

"See?" said Bella. "Works every time." She slipped her malboro tentacle back into its airproof bag and sealed it, grinning. "Back with us now?" 

Zell's eyes darted around the room; Caraway was here, so he couldn't talk freely. "Yeah," he said flatly. He made his hands into fists, scowling at the general. "So, _buddy_, what brings you into ownership of a weapon that practically made swiss cheese out of me?" 

Caraway shook his head. "I really don't think it's possible," he said. "I've owned that gun for months, it's just a showpiece I was given. It can't be the one you're looking for." 

Irvine tipped his hat up. "That so?" he asked, too casually. "We'll see." He stood up and left the room for a moment, returning with the gun in hand. "You're an army man," he said. "If it's been on your wall for months and never used, how come it shows signs of being fired?" He tossed the gun into Caraway's startled lap. 

Caraway did as he was bid, the three SeeDs watching him carefully. Either he was genuinely surprised to find Irvine right, or he was the best actor the three of them had ever seen. "Well?" asked Irvine. "If you don't have a good story, I hope you realize you're about to take a long flight to Esthar for a very permanent visit. There's international treaties for this sort of thing." 

Caraway set the gun down on a table. "I really don't understand," he said. "I was given it a few months ago, and I hung it on the wall and forgot about it. You've seen the displays; one more didn't make a lot of difference. But it _has_ been fired recently. I can't deny that." 

"Did you know the gun was stolen?" asked Bella. "There's a hunter in Winhill who's the real owner." 

Caraway started to look annoyed. "No, I didn't know it was stolen property," he snapped. "I was given it as a gift. One does not turn to one's friends on receiving a present and ask if it is stolen property." 

Irvine shrugged; the gesture seemed casual, but Zell noted that his hands weren't far from Exeter's holster. "So who gave it to you, then?" he asked. "Or are you going to tell us you don't remember?" 

"I am a person of some power and influence around here," said Caraway. "No. I can't remember who gave it to me." 

"Then, General Caraway, I must inform you that you have about twenty-four hours to settle any personal affairs you might have. You will have to come with us to stand trial in Esthar for the assassination of Laguna." 

Caraway's eyes widened. "But...this is preposterous. You _know_ I would not have done it. What would I gain?" 

"Doesn't matter. You've got the weapon, and the opportunity. Unless you can kick your memory into high gear pronto, we'll have to take you in." 

Bella lifted a finger. "If you can't help with who gave it to you," she said, "perhaps you can help us determine who stole it." And she recited the descriptions Klev gave them, and which she had noted down. 

Caraway looked relieved to finally be able to provide a useful and non-self-incriminating answer. "Oh yes, I know them," said Caraway. "Their daughter was a friend of Rinoa's before she left. That would have been General Felian, and his two sons. Very rowdy boys; I was always careful to have chaperones around when they visited my daughter. They used to love vacationing in Winhill, they said it did them good to go out hunting once in a while away from civilization." 

"What, he doesn't take his daughter on vacations?" asked Irvine, noticing the discrepancy. 

"No, his daughter is dead. Has been for ten years. I heard she died in Esthar, some sort of accident." 

The three SeeDs shared a suddenly uneasy look. No, it couldn't possibly be that twisted. Zell's hands unconsciously clenched and unclenched. Irvine leaned forward, elbows on knees, as he asked, "These kids of General Felian's. They have names?" 

Caraway noted the sudden tension in the room, but didn't know its cause. It gave him a moment's hesitation before he answered. "Prentiss, and Eustace, I believe." 

Another shared look among the SeeDs. "And the daughter?" prodded Irvine. 

"If I recall correctly, her name was Alicia." 

Irvine grimaced, Bella frowned, and Zell's expression turned positively demonic. "That family is history," said Zell flatly. "I am gonna _personally_ introduce them to my gloves. They're just too twisted to live." 

Caraway leaned back, aware he'd been given a reprieve but not sure why. "How would you know Alicia, and what happened to make you all so upset? The Felians are a very respected family in Deling City. They're right behind the Delings in power, actually." 

Irvine shook his head. "Classified SeeD matter," he said, "But you can bet they've got so many skeletons in their closet there's hardly any room for _clothes_. All right, General Caraway. We'll find out what they did with the gun after they stole it, to see that you got it. But we'll have to take the gun as evidence." 

"You have my utmost cooperation, of course," said Caraway. "Will you be staying here tonight? I have rooms." 

"No," said Irvine quickly. "Aside from you being a suspect and all until we can clear you, we'll need to be able to come and go unobtrusively. We'll be at the Galbadia Hotel if you need to reach us." 

The three SeeDs filed out, leaving Caraway wondering whether or not he should worry about them. So much power, in the hands of such young people... 


	10. Habeas Corpus

[10]Habeus Corpus When Raijin came in the next morning, the posse took immediate notice. 

He was tired, of course - he'd been going for at least twenty-four hours without rest. He wasn't drunk, either. The smell of alcohol clung to his clothes, but was entirely absent from his breath. These things were to be expected, and weren't what had grabbed the posse's attention. 

No, what got their notice was his expression. Instead of his usual easygoing cheerfulness, a deeply worried look was camped on his dark features. And anything that was enough to worry Raijin that much, was enough to catch the posse's attention. 

He didn't even bother entering the hotel room. He just hung in the doorway, leaning heavily against the frame. "I found us a clue, Seifer," he said tiredly. "Come on, y'all need to be quick before it gets moved." 

Seifer and Fujin were dressed and ready to go in a matter of minutes; Raijin in a serious mood was not a phenomena to be ignored. 

* * * * * * * *

Seifer delicately turned the head to one side and then the other with one gloved hand, now that Fujin was done taking pictures. The man had had his throat cut, and the floor was sticky with blood. The smell in the little room was terrible, but the posse had seen much worse. "How did you find this, Raij?" he asked. 

"Heard some guy at the bar bitching about the smell in his room," said Raijin. "Musta never smelled a rotten body before, 'cause otherwise the authorities woulda already cleaned this up, ya know? I knew it had to be important, so I grabbed you guys." 

"Well, you got that right," said Seifer. "Murder's pretty rare in Esthar, at least this kind. No fight in people at all unless it's over a game. This guy's been dead for some time." He sat back on his heels, studying the corpse. "The clerk said the room was paid through this week, with orders not to disturb the occupant. Fuuj, how long has he been dead?" 

Fujin finished putting her camera away, and its snapshots, and tested the body's stiffness and decomposition. This stirred up the smell of rot, and Raijin had to head for the bathroom. Even Seifer looked a little green, but he stayed where he was and waited for Fujin's report. He wasn't going to ask anything of his posse he was not prepared to endure himself, no matter _how_ disgusting it was. 

"WEEKS," said Fujin at last, holding up one and then two fingers, waving her hand to indicate a lack of surety. She shook her head and stood up, indicating the room with one hand. "CONDITIONS." 

Seifer nodded and stood up, trying not to breathe deeply. One or two weeks, depending on unknown conditions in the room such as humidity and temperature. That could put the time frame of the murder as being shortly after the assassination. It was too much to expect it to be a coincidence, here in Esthar where the murder rate was an unbelievably low two or three persons a year. He looked over at the bathroom, where Raijin had apparently finished giving up breakfast. "Get searching if you're done being green," he said. "I want to know if this guy owned _anything_ that might tie him in with our mission." 

The three searched the room with thoroughness and speed learned in a thousand Disciplinary Committee search-and-siezures. At the end of it they had a business card with only a phone number on it, a check so blood-soaked the payee's name was obliterated, and a little blue pill with an interesting design stamped on it. No form of identification was available; the body had been searched already and any money or other items of interest had been taken by the murderer. 

Seifer scowled at the meager results. "The clerk said he'd been here two months or so," he said, "which means all this shit has to be his. This place is cheap but it's clean. Let's get the fuck outta here before the stink builds a condo in my nose." 

The other two made haste for the door, not even sparing the time needed to agree. 

* * * * * * * * *

Back at the hotel, all three opted for a shower before doing anything else. Seifer graciously allowed Raijin to go first, since he'd had to be there twice and hadn't had any sleep. Fujin took the time to unpack the snapshots she'd taken of the room and body and lay them out, and the three found items of interest were neatly packaged in little plastic bags. 

Away from the stench of a rotting corpse, Seifer could think a great deal more clearly. What he saw told him unequivocally that this new body had something to do with his mission. The number on the card had been a Galbadian number - and the pill stamped with a symbol only used there. The victim had had contact with Galbadia before he died, and it seemed too much to lay at the doors of coincidence that one of the suspects was also Galbadian. Fujin ran a few simple tests on the pill to determine its nature while Seifer contacted the phone services in Galbadia to track down the owner of the telephone number. Raijin they let sleep; he'd done his duty. 

The check was left for last, simply because it would require more chemicals than Fujin habitually had handy to clean it up enough to read. While she was out getting them, Seifer got a call back from Galbadia; the number traced to a cell phone registered to Soares Detmer. So much for coincidence; now they knew this was tied in to their mission. 

The pill was an interesting one; a non-addictive euphoric. Generally not the sort pushers would go for, because it _wasn't_ addictive - though euphorics were easy to get psychologically dependent on. There had only been one in the entire room. Seifer wondered whether Fujin had thought to get a blood sample from the corpse; he didn't even know whether it would do any good, with the body in the condition it had been. He headed for the hotel's balcony, so Raijin's snoring wouldn't distract him. 

He leaned on the balcony rail and glared down at the ethereal beauty of Esthar. Hyne, how he'd hated this place. Every time he'd come here, his luck had run out in one way or another. Last time he'd come here, he had had the power of Ifrit in his veins, and felt like he could take on the world. Not mere borrowed magic through a junction, but a more direct power. But he'd just _had_ to set foot in Esthar, and lose it all. Logically, he couldn't complain. The power would have killed him if he'd kept it. But it still rankled when he thought of _how_ he'd lost it. Squall hadn't pulled his punch in the slightest, and with a similar power flowing through _him_, Seifer had been knocked cold. A stronger power, all told. Stronger, and more deadly both to the attacked, and the attacker. Seifer felt a pain, and realized he was gripping the balcony rail so hard its edges were cutting into his skin. 

He'd hated this city because it had been Squall's. Squall's father's, really, but Seifer had seen. Laguna would have done anything for his son - so Esthar was Squall's. A whole damn city, and Garden to boot. Well, at least that wasn't the case any more. Both of them were pretty much out of his hair, and finally - _finally_ - his luck was changing. He pulled his hands off the rail, and cast cura on them to stop the bleeding. 

Thinking back on that time, though, Seifer realized he'd never asked what happened to the work that they'd done. That Fujin had done, really, and Selphie. Or the work Odine had done, that Laguna had retrieved, or the research at Alicia's complex. 

Well, if they didn't have _that_ already, Seifer was not going to volunteer to go get it. He still had a hard time repressing a shudder when he remembered Alicia's sensory deprivation tank. Damn, that woman had been twisted. But what had happened to the research Laguna had had, that Seifer had been unable to pry out of him? 

He headed over to the console, to check out the local headlines, and found a message waiting from Irvine. A status report; not bad. Found the gun, yes...found the _thieves_...oh, great Hyne. Alicia's family were involved? Seifer's green eyes narrowed. He knew that family. If they did anything, it was a certain bet that power was involved somewhere. At that time in his life, it had been highly attractive. But if they were involved, then was this Detmer guy involved with them, or just with the general? Who wanted what? Who was getting what out of this? 

His thoughts were interrupted by Fujin's return, her arms laden with little vials of chemicals. 

"Fuuj, would you be able to tell from the blood on the check whether the dead guy ever used the pill type we found?" 

Fujin looked at her acquisitions and frowned for a moment, thinking. "AFFIRMATIVE." 

"Add that to the things to do to it, then," he said. A flashing occurred out of the corner of his eye. High priority message from Garden? 

_Priority One Emergency - All SeeD return to Garden immediately._

Holy shit. Priority one? The last time anyone had issued that code, Galbadia Garden was about to attack; he'd seen the reports of Balamb's side. Seifer's eyes widened. "Get Raijin's sorry ass outta bed," he said. "Garden wants us back _right now_." 

Fujin looked at the flashing screen, and her silver-gray eye widened. She set her vials down - carefully - on an empty bed and unceremoniously yanked the blankets off of Raijin, tumbling him to the floor as Seifer quickly started packing their belongings. 

"Heyyyy..." grumbled Raijin tiredly. "I ain't had my beauty rest, ya know?" 

"You aren't getting any for a while, Raij," commented Seifer as he started packing away the photos and chemicals. "Priority One from Garden. Get your ass in gear or we throw you in a bag and _carry_ you." 

Raijin's face went from disgruntlement to shock. He knew what a Priority One message meant. He started attempting to break the world speed record for getting dressed and packed. 

Within five minutes of receiving the message, the posse was completely packed and out the door, the only sign of their occupancy in the room a collection of rumpled blankets. 

* * * * * * * * *

When they got back to their hotel room, Irvine was needling Zell about Griever again; what had happened in the hall? 

"I saw the gun, man, and all I could think was Caraway had to be behind it," said Zell unhappily. "I was just gonna pounce on him but Griever decided to knock me out." 

Irvine's eyebrows went up. "First time that GF has actually come in handy," he said. "It wasn't great making excuses for you fainting like a delicate lady, but it was better than explaining why a SeeD knocked a Galbadian General's teeth out." He opened the room door, to see the com screen flashing. 

_Priority One Emergency: All SeeD return to Garden immediately. AM_

Irvine's eyes widened and his face went pale. "Oh, no..." 

Zell pushed in past him, and saw the screen. "Priority One?" he asked incredulously. "Shit, we gotta get moving. Bella you'd better steer, Irv here doesn't look too good." He cleared the screen and quickly checked them out of the room; so much for sleeping in a full sized bed. 

He didn't notice Bella's face pale until he turned to get the two frozen SeeDs out of the doorway. "Come _on_, people, we gotta move! What's gotten into you?" 

Bella swallowed. "The rest of the message," she said. "We must've got it because it's in the records that our mission was assigned transport. We'll have to grab Seifer and the posse on our way." 

"Yeah?" said Zell, trying to push them out the door. "Well, I am no fan of Seifer but you two are acting like you've seen a ghost." 

At the word 'ghost', Irvine blinked and suddenly ran full speed from the room, knocking over anything in his way. Zell paused in surprise, only to find Bella grabbing his arm and pulling him after them. "Oh, so _now_ you want to run," he said, and got his legs properly under him for a good burst of speed. 

Bella panted lightly as she kept pace with Zell, but Irvine was still a good way ahead of them and didn't show the slightest sign of slowing down. "Okay, I saw the same message you two did but I guess I didn't read it right. I know it means 'hurry' but what's gotten into Irvine?" 

"The two letter code at the end," said Bella. "It explains the emergency; I think only our version had it, because Irvine's with us." 

Still mostly concentrating on running and not knocking people over, this made little sense to Zell. "Yeah, so?" 

"It stands for 'Administrator - Master'," said Bella, losing patience. "You need more details?" 

"Selphie called the emergency?" hazarded Zell as the Ragnarok came in view. 

Bella couldn't hit him very hard when they were both running, but she tried. "You idiot. Selphie _is_ the emergency." 

"Oh," said Zell, then his mouth made an O as it sank in. "Oh, shit!" he cried, and put on a burst of speed that let him overtake Irvine just as he was reaching the ramp - tackling him to the ground. 

"Get _off_ me you punk-haired bastard," growled Irvine. "Selphie's in trouble!" 

Zell didn't move until Bella caught up and got on the ship. "I know, buddy, I know," he said, getting up. "But you can't fly like this, and we gotta get Seifer." 

"No!" snapped Irvine, heading for the cockpit. "We've gotta get back to Garden! They can find their own way over..." 

"Not from Esthar, they can't," said Zell, getting in his way. He realized it wouldn't do any good to argue; Irvine's cool was long gone and in its place was someone desperate to get back to his loved one. 

_Griever, you did it for me, now you gotta do it for him,_ Zell called to the Guardian Force. _He's no good to us like this, he can't do anything..._

**...We will try,** said Griever reluctantly. **Touch him.**

As Irvine tried once more to get past Zell, get to the cockpit, fly the ship to Garden and Selphie, Zell grabbed the nearest bare skin he could reach; Irvine's throat. Zell wore his combat gloves as usual, but the gloves didn't have fingers so there was still hopefully contact enough for whatever the Guardian Force might try. There was a moment of wrenching disorientation and then a flash - and Irvine crumpled, unconscious. Zell didn't feel too wonderful himself; his head felt like it might explode. 

_What the hell was that?_ he asked as he scooped Irvine up. He'd have to lock the poor guy in the sleeping quarters until they arrived, or at least until they'd picked up the posse and were on a direct course for Garden. 

**We had to do something that was a cross between junctioning and a summoned attack,** said Griever, and its voice was noticeably quieter than it had been. **Irvine sensed it and rejected it; we had to overpower him.**

_Er, plain English please?_

_We forced ourselves into his mind, and then knocked him out the same way we did you,_ whispered the Guardian Force, the power in its voice gone. _We do not think we will try that again..._

The voice faded completely away. Zell got his friend settled and checked his pulse; a bit fluttery, but there. No telling how long he'd be out. Given that he'd junctioned sleep to his status defense, and that Griever was pretty much worn out with this attempt, if Irvine woke too soon Zell would have to knock him out the hard way; fist to the jaw. He sighed; if it came to that, it could be a _long_ time before Irvine forgave him. 

Making sure to use all the strength he had to move blocks in front of the sleeping quarters' doors, Zell moved on up to the bridge. Bella was in radio range of the posse now - having pushed the Ragnarok's capabilities to their limits - and was arranging a pickup point. 

"Let 'em know they're going to have to sleep in chairs if they need a rest," yawned Zell. "I've done the best I can to lock Irvine in there until we're back at Garden." 

Bella looked over at him, just as tired as he was. "Didn't go quietly, huh?" she asked. 

"You could say that," said Zell, trying to get comfortable in a chair with the headache he had. "Not that I blame him, you know..." 

"I know," said Bella gently. "They've been together a long time." 

"Bout as long as us," said Zell, closing his eyes. 

"Yes, but they've been _together_ for almost all that time," said Bella wistfully. "You and I, we've had missions. This is the first time Irvine's been away from her for more than a few days in _years_. It's...different for them." 

"D'you regret it?" asked Zell, curious. "I thought you liked the active life." 

"Oh, I do," said Bella. "It's just...sometimes I wonder what we're giving up, you know?" 

Zell thought about the way Irvine and Selphie acted together, the way they always struck people as one of them dragging the other around by the wrist. They had a strong streak of wildness in them, both of them did - but together they could pull off the impossible. And apart...they just sort of _wilted_. He thought about Squall and Rinoa, the way they always seemed to hit the same point from opposite directions, meeting in the middle. Together, they were both great people to be around. Apart, Rinoa became dangerously impulsive and Squall became suicidally morose. 

Whereas he and Bella...just _were_. Together they grew, and apart they just sort of...stopped. It didn't seem to be the same thing at all. 

On the other hand, having seen Squall when Rinoa was in a coma, and the way Irvine was acting now...did he want that for himself? Did she? "Yeah, I know, Bella," he said. "It's a crazy ride they go on, but I don't know if the highs are worth the lows." 

Bella nodded. "Exactly," she said, and they finished the trip in silence. 

* * * * *

Seifer had not been pleased to find out that Zell had barricaded Irvine in the sleeping quarters; Raijin was functioning on minimal sleep. When Bella explained what they knew, however, he backed off. The trip from Esthar to Garden was remarkably quick; Garden was docked at FH so that the most SeeDs could get there quickly. 

As they made ready to land - a tricky maneuver involving getting the Ragnarok into the parking garage - Zell moved aside the hefty steel shelves he'd used to barricade the sleeping quarters. Just inside the door was Irvine, who had apparently knocked himself out again trying to force his way through the door. His face was wet with tears, but his breathing was steady. 

Zell shook his head; there was a good chance Irvine had broken his shoulder, doing that. Seifer and the posse were considerate enough to make no comment as he picked his friend up and carried him off the ship. 

Outside the ship was pure chaos, as a hefty string of SeeDs formed a queue that completely circled the Ringway four times over. Most looked harried; called in from distant missions on short notice. The line led to the Commander's office. The six SeeDs looked at each other; chances were that they wouldn't be needed that way yet. Seifer glanced down at Irvine, and said, "Infirmary first. Let's get the Cowboy looked at." 

Zell wasn't going to question the unusual degree of empathy Seifer was showing - not now. He darted down the ramp and ran as fast as he could for the Infirmary, wondering if he would always be doomed to carrying his friends there. 

The crowd around the Infirmary was _huge_. It looked like every cadet in Garden was trying to get in. Zell wondered how it had been allowed to happen - and then remembered that last time, Irvine had been able to disperse the crowd. Quistis was cracking her whip and trying to disperse them now; her orders got harsher when she saw Zell carrying Irvine. "Get back to your classes!" she shouted. "You are interfering with SeeD business! Get back to your classes _now_!" 

The crowd thinned just enough to let Zell through - and then suddenly dispersed entirely. Seifer, Fujin and Raijin were striding forward, in perfect Disciplinary Committee formation, and when they did that every cadet made himself scarce. Zell tossed back a 'thanks' and hurried in. 

Kadowaki met him at the door, and indicated a bed Zell could lay Irvine down on. "Just a moment," she said, and waited for the others to come in. "The rest of the SeeDs are giving their reports to Xu," she said, "But you six are cleared to be here first. Now...don't go overboard when you see her, all right? It looks worse than it is - though it took us a while to make sure. The Code One is because we don't know who's behind it. Now - what happened to him?" and she indicated Irvine. 

"He saw the message and lost it, Doctor," said Zell. "I had to knock him out to keep him from taking over the Ragnarok and leaving...our team leader in Esthar. I locked him in a room till we got here; I think he got hurt trying to break out." 

Kadowaki nodded. "That's what I thought," she said, "but I had to be sure. He'll be fine, assuming he can handle what's happened to the Garden Master." She nodded at a few of her medical cadets, and they immediately began checking Irvine over. She indicated another room. "This way," she said. 

Zell was immediately grateful that Irvine had knocked himself out - he did _not_ want to see his friend's reaction to seeing Selphie like this. There were bandages covering her arms and chest, there were bandages on one side of her face, her hair was burned short...she had a tube in her mouth to help her breathe... 

No one spoke for a few minutes as they absorbed the sight. Selphie, bouncing energetic Selphie...caught on the wrong side of an explosion? 

"What happened?" asked Seifer - quietly, but in a tone that did not brook disobedience. 

"Mail bomb," said Kadowaki. "She gets a lot of packages every day as part of her job. This one used all plastic parts so it would slip through the metal detectors, and we're still working on how it got past the x-ray scan. She worked out what it was just seconds before it exploded - which is why the damage isn't worse. She'd _almost_ managed to get out of her office. The room was completely obliterated." 

Quistis came in then, coiling her whip. "We called the Code One in the hope that some SeeD might have an idea who's behind this," she said. "Whoever did it attacked a Garden Administrator; we can execute the people responsible no matter who they are." 

Zell's face wore its usual talking-to-GFs expression, then he said, "We have a volunteer for executioner," he said. "Two, actually." His voice was flat, but there was a seething anger behind it. 

Quistis nodded. "I'm glad Leviathan is willing, and Griever also. But we have to catch them first." 

"...Sefie?" said a groggy voice, and the group parted to let Irvine in the room. He wasn't wearing bandages, which meant Kadowaki had poured an Elixir down his throat. He was holding his head in one hand, and the other arm hung a little stiffly. Everyone gave him space as he saw the figure on the bed, but he just walked slowly over to her and took one of her hands gently in his own. He looked very much like he wanted to cry but had forgotten how, a dreamer who had forgotten how to wake up. One hand gently stroked the burned ends of her hair. 

By silent agreement, the others left the room. Quistis closed the door behind them. "I've been hearing your reports," she said. "I would like to hear any conclusions you may have reached." 

Seifer shook his head. "No proof yet, but we're working on it. My theory is General Torben wanted Laguna dead, and hired a hit man from Galbadia to pull it off. But there's a lot of missing pieces in between theory and fact." 

Bella said, "Whoever shot Laguna wanted Caraway blamed for his death. We found the gun in his house. From him, we identified the people who stole the gun as being Alicia's family. Alicia from the whole business ten years ago with Squall." 

Quistis nodded. "Alicia...that could make sense," she mused, one finger tapping her whip. "It's a possibility, anyway." 

"_What_ is?" demanded Seifer. "What are you talking about?" 

"I haven't heard any other theories as to who might have attacked Selphie but this," replied Quistis calmly. "But if Alicia's family were involved in Laguna's death, it's possible that they were also involved in the attack on Selphie." 

"EXPLAIN," said Fujin shortly. 

"We tried to keep the events in Esthar quiet," said Quistis, "but there were a great many witnesses. It wouldn't be hard for Alicia's family to know which SeeDs were present when she died. That would be Irvine, Zell, Selphie, Squall, and Rinoa. And the non-SeeD present were Laguna, Kiros, and Ward. If we accept the theory that _all_ the attacks are related, then Selphie was attacked because she was present, and Laguna and Zell were attacked for the same reason." 

"And framing Caraway?" asked Zell. "He doesn't even know what _happened_, never mind who was there." 

"Rinoa and Squall are out of reach," said Quistis. "Laguna would then be a twofold target - being present and being Squall's father, and Caraway would be a target as Rinoa's father." 

Zell's eyes widened. "Ellone!" 

Quistis nodded. "I'll have to get Xu to station SeeD to guard Ellone, Kiros, and Ward. Just in case." 

Seifer frowned. "You're reaching, Quistis," he said. "How can you be sure you're right?" 

Quistis gave him a small nod - a teacher acknowledging an intelligent question. "Zell. I am sure Kiros and Ward told you where you could look them up. Why don't you? If I'm wrong, then they're probably fine." She shrugged. "If I'm _right_..." 

Zell got on the Garden intercom, calling Xu. "Can you tell me if any SeeDs have reported in from Timber?" he asked, and listened for her answer. "Yeah. Any news of Kiros and Ward?" He listened for a moment, and slumped. "Yeah...thanks Xu." He hung it up, and faced the others. 

"Kiros and Ward were attacked in what the SeeDs there say was a mugging," he said heavily. "They're both soldiers, so their attackers didn't survive...but they took a heavy beating. They're both in the hospital." His face scrunched up, and he punched the wall so hard he put a hefty hole in it. "Why didn't someone _tell_ me?" he asked. 

"You know it isn't Garden's policy to keep track of non-threatening non-SeeD," said Quistis sadly. "But now we know - Alicia's family wants not a few of us dead. I'll make sure Xu knows to guard Kiros and Ward, as well as Ellone." 

"No," said Zell in a strained voice. "They got hurt because they helped SeeD. SeeD can protect them better if they're _here_, and they'll get better care here than anywhere in Timber. You get them _here_, Quistis." 

Quistis took in Zell's expression; these two were as much his friends now as they had been Laguna's. She nodded. "All right, Zell. We'll see if we can bring them here." She turned back to Seifer. "You - I may not be Commander, but Xu will back me on this. Find out how extensively this General Torben is involved with the Felians. We may _know_ they're responsible, but we still have to _prove_ it. There's too many missing pieces still." 

Seifer gave her a level stare that clearly said, _How positively brilliant of you to try ordering me to do what I was already doing anyway_. But he said nothing; he'd learned a long time ago what the limits were within the walls of Garden. "And the cowboy?" he asked instead. 

Quistis cast a worried look at the door to Selphie's room. "You three take the Ragnarok this time, but don't land at the airstation. Keep undercover. I'll get Nida to stop the Garden outside Deling City...by then Irvine should be able to pull himself together." 

Seifer nodded and strode out, his posse on his heels. Quistis followed, saying she would make a report to Xu and see what else the incoming SeeD reported, leaving Zell and Bella outside the door to Selphie's room. Zell gave his girlfriend's hand a squeeze, and they went back in, to offer Irvine whatever support they could.   
  



	11. Leviathan Redux

[11]Leviathan Redux Irvine didn't seem to notice when they entered the room. All of his attention was on Selphie, so badly hurt by the bomb. Kadowaki was watching him carefully as she explained the situation to him. 

"No, we _can't_ use magic to heal her," she said. "Not yet. She's too weak. Magic draws on your own life force to heal your wounds. In battle, you can use it to heal yourself of a wound you just took and it'll work just fine - your life force has barely been touched at that point. But Selphie's just barely hanging on - if I use magic or potions on her, the shock will kill her. She's got to climb out of the danger zone on her own. I'm sorry." 

"What about the power of the Guardian Forces?" pleaded Irvine, his eyes never leaving Selphie's form. "We could use Treatment, or Revive..." 

"The powers of the Guardian Forces are just as dangerous as ordinary magic or potions," said Kadowaki patiently. 

Zell's eyes widened. He hadn't thought about it, but, _Could you Recover her, Leviathan?_ he asked. 

**Your medic is right,** came Leviathan's watery voice. **With the condition your friend is in, our power might well kill her.** There was a thoughtful pause. **How much would you give to have her well, Zell?**

_Whaddaya mean?_ asked Zell. _She's Garden Master, the Garden would give anything to have her up and about. So would I, and so would Irvine, and all her friends..._

Leviathan chuckled, a bubbling sound. **We _could_ heal her, Zell. But we would want something in return - for it would require more of our power than we have ever offered to anyone.**

_Just you tell me what it is so I can ask,_ snapped Zell, _and we'll see what happens then._

**If we heal your friend, you must free us,** said Leviathan. **We have passed from junction to junction for untold centuries. We wish to be free. If we give this of ourselves, for this woman, you must release us. Not into your precious Garden data banks - but into the ocean.**

_Holy shit,_ thought Zell, momentarily stunned. _You don't ask for small favors, do you. Hang on..._

When he focused on the real world again, Irvine was watching him with an almost crazed look in his eyes. "If that was Griever you were talking to, I don't wanna know about it," he said. 

"Um, no," said Zell awkwardly. "Actually, it was Leviathan. I asked her if she would use Recover on Selphie." 

"You can't," said Irvine dully. "Kadowaki said it would kill her..." 

"Um, maybe not," Zell replied carefully. "See...Leviathan says there's a way, but-" 

"If there's a way then _you do it_, Zell," said Irvine flatly. "You want that in writing? Signed in blood maybe?" Irvine gripped the bed rails so hard his knuckles turned white, trying to keep a grip on his self-control as his voice cracked with emotion. "I'll take full responsibility, Zell, if it'll make you feel better. I don't care what it is, what it costs. She could _die_ if we don't do anything. Whatever it is Leviathan can do, _make her do it_. Or get out of my face and never let me see you again." 

Zell blew out a long breath. He knew Irvine was just barely hanging on, and it felt like taking advantage to let his friend accept responsibility. No one had ever released a Guardian Force before; there was bound to be some sort of response to it. "No, Irvine, I'll take the knocks for it. Just...just calm down, okay?" _Your call, water snake. What do I have to do?_

**Touch her, skin to skin,** came Leviathan's water-smooth voice. **Whatever happens do not break contact until we say.**

That didn't sound promising, and reflexively Zell gulped. Good thing Seifer wasn't around to see his attack of nerves. He nodded to the Guardian Force, and laid his hand against the unburned side of Selphie's face. Her cheek was warm, fevered, against his fingertips. Irvine looked at him curiously; Recover didn't usually require physical contact. Zell was just about to reassure him that it was okay when - 

Leviathan _moved_ within him. The cold, slick coils of the water snake uncurled from the corners of his mind where she usually stayed quiescent, and wound out of his head and down his arm, squeezing and coiling. He shuddered; the coils felt so real, so cold, so slick, but when he looked at his arm nothing was there - though his skin started to look a little blue. His hand against Selphie's cheek started to glow with a blue-tinted light as cold power poured from his head and down his arms into her body. 

He could feel what the difference was. Leviathan wasn't using magic to let Selphie's own life force heal her. Leviathan was using _its own_ life force to fuel the spell. No wonder it had asked for such a high payment. 

From the point of contact the blue light spread over Selphie's body, Irvine watching intently as it washed away her wounds. Zell was concentrating on not breaking contact, even though his arm and hand were starting to lose feeling from Leviathan's power. The light covered Selphie's entire body for a few minutes, then slowly faded. 

_You may withdraw your hand,_ came the whisper of Leviathan's voice, as quiet as Griever had been after he touched Irvine. _She will still need to rest for a few days - we have healed her body but her mind must still recover from the shock of her wounding. We have kept our promise._

_I'll say,_ said Zell, his face breaking into a grin as he saw Irvine gently peel away bandages to reveal healed skin beneath. "Leviathan says she'll need to sleep for a while Irvine," he said, "but she'll be fine." 

There was unashamed joy and relief in Irvine's eyes as he looked down at his Selphie - even her hair was its usual auburn glory again. Kadowaki moved to remove the breathing tube, and looked over at Zell. 

"You can't do that for all the patients in here, can you," she said - statement more than question. 

"Fraid not," said Zell. "Leviathan wanted a life for a life - for this I gotta let her go." 

One eyebrow raised. "I wonder what the Commander will say?" she asked. 

Irvine waved one hand at them. "I don't give a flying rat's ass whether Xu has a hissy fit or throws a party," he said. "Selphie's gonna be all right. If Xu can't handle that then they can damn well find a new Garden Administrator, if they can't appreciate the damn fine one they've already got." 

"I told you I'd take the knocks for this and I will," said Zell, "but for now I've got a promise to keep. Wanna come?" 

Irvine cast a last look at Selphie over his shoulder, affirming to himself that yes, she would be all right. Then he nodded. "Yeah," he said. "You'll probably need a witness in front of Xu anyway." 

Zell turned to Kadowaki. "We're still over the ocean, right?" he asked. 

"Oh yes, for at least another few hours. Garden isn't exactly the fastest form of transport around. Go on, Irvine. I'll watch over Selphie for a little while. I'll need to see how much sleep she'll need anyway." 

The two men nodded in unison, and headed for the door. 

* * * * * * *

The view of the ocean from the 2F deck was breathtaking, as always. The ocean breezes whipped up little waves below the floating Garden, and the sun shone brilliantly. Zell looked down at all that water below the Garden's anti-gravity ring, just the tiniest bit queasy. It was way too easy to remember the day Galbadia Garden attacked, and he'd run himself ragged looking for a rope to rescue Rinoa with. _What now?_ he asked of Leviathan. 

**Hold out your hands over the balcony,** came Leviathan's voice, somewhat stronger than it had been. 

When he did so, Leviathan _moved _within him. Not just down his arm, as she had done for Selphie, but all throughout his body. Despite the warmth of the sun on his face and arms, he felt like he'd been standing in a meat locker, or dunked in a half-frozen pool. Leviathan seemed to fill his entire body, the chill and the power growing and growing until he felt as though the Guardian Force would break his body apart like a hot-dog dipped in liquid nitrogen. It was almost like drowning. Just as he was sure something would have to give or he'd scream, all of it exploded down through his arms and out of his body - and a long blue streak shot out from his fists into the waters some fifty yards out from Garden's walls. He sagged against the balcony, gasping for breath as the water serpent leaped dolphin-like from the waves. 

Hyne, it was beautiful. Huge, powerful...beautiful. The water serpent reared up and stared at the two SeeDs with eyes the color of purest sapphire, fathomless blue against its sea blue scales. It was easily a hundred feet long, though it was hard to tell - its tail was invisible in the water. Irvine's jaw was open as he stared in awe; Zell was too exhausted to do more than just stare. 

**"Thank you, holder of Griever,"** came the watery, feminine, threefold voice, booming now that it was spoken with vocal chords instead of telepathy. **"We bid you luck."** And without further comment the great blue serpent arched and threw itself back into the water, disappearing almost instantly. 

"I had _that_ in my head all this time?" was the first thing Zell could think of to say. 

Irvine nodded. "They're so much more powerful looking when they're real, aren't they?" He turned to Zell, who still hadn't managed to get upright. "You okay, man?" he asked. 

Zell coughed. "Yeah," he said. "I just hope Xu doesn't order me to go get Leviathan back, 'cause I'm afraid the answer to that one would be 'hell no'. Once is enough." He took a deep breath and forced himself to stand up straight. "You go hang with Selphie," he said. "I think I'm gonna take a little nap." He wobbled a bit, unsteady on his feet. 

"I'll give you a hand," said Irvine, offering his arm for support. "That didn't look like fun." 

"It wasn't," said Zell, as they wobbled their way to the dormitory. 

* * * * * * *

Away from Garden, Seifer seethed. 

Just who did Quistis think she was, to order him? Who did she think _he_ was, to need her advice? He knew what needed doing as well as any other SeeD with eyes. At the moment the only thing keeping him from wreaking havoc on the interior of the Ragnarok was Fujin's steady gaze. It wouldn't do for his posse to display more control than he could himself. 

They got back into Esthar the same way they had before; parking the Ragnarok some distance from the city and hiking in. They wouldn't bother with a hotel room now - with the Ragnarok, they had all the privacy they would need. Fujin stayed behind, to continue working on assembling the pieces the other two turned up. Currently, that involved removing the blood from the check they'd recovered, and testing it for the presence of the drug they'd found with it. 

Two people were high on Seifer's suspect list - General Torben and Soares Detmer. It only remained to find out who did what, and whether they were working together. He sent a quick message to Fujin to forward a picture of the dead man to Garden to see whether Zell would recognize him. It was a long shot to expect Zell to remember a guy's face, especially when said face was not looking its best, but since Zell _had_ been on the receiving end of a large number of bullets...he just might remember the face of the guy who'd done the firing. 

That was Seifer's theory as to who the corpse was - a disposable hit man. He knew if _he_ wanted a President dead, he wouldn't do the shooting himself. Too many things could go wrong with that; the shot could miss, a bodyguard could take it, he could be seen and possibly captured even if he succeeded. No, the _smart_ thing to do would be to hire someone else to do the shooting. If they fail, you make sure they don't have any way to point the finger at you. And if they succeed, you can silence them and no one's the wiser. 

But if you didn't want a trail, why such a fancy-ass gun to do the shooting? Why bomb Selphie, mug Kiros and Ward? 

The sheer number of contradictions indicated a conspiracy. Too many egos involved to make a clean operation. Seifer grinned; the only ego in charge of the investigation was his own - a sure sign that eventually the pieces would come together. 

"Hey, what's on the agenda?" came Raijin's voice. 

Seifer eyed his friend critically. Raijin had spent most of the flight catching up on his sleep, but he was still looking a little frayed. It would do no good to involve him in anything dangerous or overly delicate; his body wasn't up for the first, and his brain cells weren't awake enough to handle the second. But people Raijin could handle in his sleep. He was the only member of the posse to ever have made friends _outside_ the posse. 

"Go wherever you have to, do whatever you have to do," said Seifer. "But I want to know everything you can dig up on this party-boy Detmer. Where he goes, who he fucks, what he snorts when he thinks nobody's looking. _Everything_, Raijin. I'm gonna stake out the General and see if I can't dig up the dirt on him." 

Raijin nodded and grinned. "Piece of cake, ya know?" he said, and jogged off. 

Seifer shook his head. Sometimes, Raijin's eternal good cheer could really bring out the homicidal maniac in a guy. Not as quickly as Zell's hyperactivity, but sometimes close. 

Fujin already had as many files from the military compound as they had been able to acquire. It would do no good to go back there. That left the media. Seifer pulled off his trademark trench coat and stuffed it into a sturdy looking rucksack. Hyperion got placed in a special back sheath that hid it from casual view - especially when he pulled the rucksack over his shoulder, further obscuring the lines of his back. The idea was to look harmless - or at least as harmless as Seifer ever managed to look. 

He took a few seconds to adjust the habitual set of his features so that he now looked sharp-eyed, energetic, optimistic and eager. The perfect guy to take along on a shoot, completely inconspicuous in a newsroom's ground zero. Then he headed for the part of town that housed the media; newspapers, television..._reporters_. 

* * * * * * *

Raijin was not having the best of luck today. 

He was very good at getting people to admit the sort of things they'd ordinarily _never_ admit to, like which hand they masturbated with, or who it was they were seeing in the out-of-the-way corners of the Training Center. That was his job in the posse, and in the Disciplinary Committee. Nobody ever took a look at him and said 'ooo he's a threat, better watch my mouth'. They looked at him and saw an open face, a welcoming grin, and a willing ear. He'd then pass that information along to Seifer and Fujin, and they'd either do something about it or put it with other pieces of information to make a larger picture. _That_, Raijin never bothered with. His job was to be the good cop, the one everyone trusts. 

And so it was today. In the bars and the pool halls and the casinos, Raijin ambled along amiably and picked up snippets of conversation, angling towards the more interesting ones and inserting himself so smoothly that often it was several minutes before the participants realized they didn't know who he was. 

The trouble was, all the news was of Detmer being _gone_. The drug crowd were disappointed; apparently he was well known to carry a particular joy-pill that went well with _everything_, and he often handed them out to his 'friends'. The gamblers were upset because he also often was free with 'loans' in exchange for small favors; Raijin sympathized and picked up details as to exactly _what sort_ of favors and when. And the barkeeps groused because he was a generous tipper - unusual in a Galbadian. 

Most upset were Detmer's 'special friends' - a small group of women and men that he would be especially nice to in exchange for rather vanilla sexual favors. Raijin's grin widened when he got the details; Detmer liked to think he was a radical bad boy, but in all cases he was rather more cautious than was normal. His drugs were all non-addictive, his gambling stuck to the slots, and his sex - while bisexual - didn't involve any kinks. Raijin smiled, and tried not to mention any of the Garden cadet antics he knew about. But Seifer wanted to know _everything_, so Raijin made the appropriate sympathetic noises and pried everything he could out of everyone he met. 

He just hoped Seifer wouldn't blow it too hard when he heard that Detmer had definitely flown the coop. 

* * * * * * *

Jackpot. 

At least, part of one. 

When they'd been here before, the closest they'd come to tying Torben into the assassination was the unusual changes in the Airstation duty roster engineered by his men. 

Here, abandoned by the media as being 'fluff', was the footage that proved the duty roster had been changed the day that their dead 'friend' had come to town. He was just one face among many, of course. Unless you just happened to notice that he had come to town with Soares Detmer. The guards on duty were under Torben's command. The footage had been shot to show the crowd of tourists coming to Esthar for one of its better music festivals - sometimes, you just had to accept that there were gods who didn't _always_ want to rain on the parade. 

Try writing _that_ off as a coincidence. Torben's men on duty the day these two showed up. Of course, there wasn't proof that the now-dead companion was the assassin, or that Detmer had had anything more to do with it than just being friends with the wrong guy. But it _was_, undoubtedly, a piece of the puzzle. 

With this, all that remained to proving Torben was involved was evidence that he knew, approved, and possibly requested that roster change. If he could get hold of the customs logs for that day, that would be a bonus. That damn gun had to have shown up in _someone's_ possession. 

Seifer checked his watch. _Shit_. He'd been in these archives all day. No point in heading over to Customs today, they'd be shut down to casual inquiry. 

Better to head back, and see if the others had had any luck in turning up their own puzzle pieces. 

* * * * * * *

There were, indeed, other pieces now in hand. 

Fujin's tests indicated that the dead man had not used the euphoric they'd uncovered, which meant it came with someone else. That 'someone else' could really only be Detmer, because when she cleaned the blood off the check it was _from_ Detmer. The payee's name was one they didn't know, but when Fujin ran it through the database of Galbadian citizens, the face-picture matched the man whose body they'd taken it from. 

He was, indeed, a hit man. Wanted in Galbadia for quite a few such offenses, though he had a clean record in Esthar; apparently nobody had yet linked him to the assassination. 

So now Detmer was tied in, with proof. It was quite a sizable check - much larger than any 'loan' Detmer gave to his friends, even his 'special' friends. 

What remained was proving the dead man had done the shooting, that either he or Detmer had had the gun, and that Torben had arranged for them to slip into the country. To that end Seifer and Raijin gave Fujin a hand in sorting through the files they'd lifted from the military base. 

No luck. Not a written communication anywhere that indicated his involvement. Which probably explained why he'd been so free with letting them into the headquarters - no evidence to find. There was, however, still hope. Security cameras were everywhere, it was just a matter of finding the right camera. The truly interesting thing about Estharian security was that it was a matter of public record if it was outside - so that was what they checked first, searching the entire city the day of the assassination, and the day the two Galbadians came to town. _That_ turned up a few very interesting shots. One of the dead man entering the area where Laguna had made his last speech - making him present at the assassination. One of him meeting up with Detmer afterwards outside his room, and both of them going in. And one shortly after that of only Detmer coming out. 

With this on film, it was only a matter of time before all hell broke loose looking for Detmer, so it wasn't really a surprise to find he'd fled Esthar. He'd be suspect number one once the body was found, even without the pill and the check that the posse had picked up. At the very least he'd be wanted for that murder. 

Sloppy Galbadian thinking, that. Murder was much more common in Deling City than it was here. Had Detmer killed his man outside the city it would've caused less comment. 

Seifer stood up and stretched. "If Chicken-Wuss remembers this guy's face, that's most of our job taken care of. And for Hyne's sake tell 'em to keep a lookout for Detmer; send them his pic so they know what to look for." He looked at his watch - they'd worked well into the middle of the night. "I'm for bed. Tomorrow..." he had to pause to focus his thoughts, as lack of sleep was starting to set in. "Tomorrow...we see where the gun was." 

* * * * * * *

The next day the trio headed for the customs office, to see what sort of goodies the two Galbadians had brought with them. The officials weren't inclined to be cooperative at first, but when the posse showed their SeeD identification and mission parameters, the staff suddenly became very willing to help. 

Yes, the gun had come with the two Galbadians. In the possession of Soares Detmer, listed as a personal possession. His official reason for visiting Esthar was to take advantage of the hunting possibilities provided by the Lunar Cry. 

Checking further, it was noted that the gun did not leave the country in Detmer's possession. Seifer scowled. Where could it have gone, to end up at Caraway's? 

"PACKAGE?" inquired Fujin, and Seifer grinned. Yes, that was possible. 

"Do you guys check outgoing mail parcels?" he asked, and received the answer he needed; no, they didn't check mail. Just luggage. They were more worried about things coming _into_ Esthar than things coming _out_ of it. 

Well, they now had enough to definitely involve Detmer; the gun was his, used in the assassination. A check from him to the dead guy, and a drug which was probably his found at the scene. Which just left Torben's part to tie up, and then the posse could go home. 

The question was how to do that. No written records remained...Seifer grinned, and the posse shared a look. Their suspicions were confirmed when he turned to Raijin and asked, "Where do the soldiers hang out?" 

* * * * * * *

The _Desperado_ was an established soldier's bar, on the other side of town from the recruiting office. The reason for the distance was obvious when you got inside; this was where soldiers went when off duty and when they wanted nothing more than to not have to listen to another goddamned order for the next four hours. Esthar was in general a very quiet place, with few fights - the _Desperado_ was filled with people trained to do nothing but, who wanted a chance to exercise their skills somewhere their superior officer couldn't press charges. The furniture was in general badly damaged and much mended; some chairs had been fixed so many times their makeup was more epoxy glue than actual wood. The only rule here was 'no weapons'. A murder, or any other form of death, would bring far too much attention down on the bar. There was a sizable weapons-check room by the door, manned at all times, and metal detectors in the doorway. 

Seifer and his posse strolled into the place like they owned it, completely ignoring the frantic beeping of the metal detector. A very tall and heavily muscled man clamped a hand on Seifer's shoulder, and rumbled, "You're gonna have to check your weapons, mate." 

Seifer turned slowly, his face a mask of congeniality - a clue to his posse that they didn't miss. "We're here looking for a few people," he said calmly, his tone indicating that hiding them would mean Trouble. "If you want to get them for us, we'll wait right here. Otherwise," and here he moved blindingly fast, pinning the bouncer's arm halfway up his back in a painful grip, "don't ever lay a fucking finger on my coat again," he finished in a menacing whisper to the bouncer's ear, "or I'll tear the arm off that the finger's attached to." 

He stepped back, letting the man go but not looking away. The bouncer had seen action enough in his time, as a soldier and then here, to know when he was outmatched. Seifer wasn't even breathing hard, and the whole attack and release had gone so quickly that no one had seen. 

Raijin tapped the bouncer on the shoulder and showed him the images of the soldiers they wanted - taken from the security cameras. "These guys, ya know?" he said cheerfully, though there was a hint in his face that Seifer wouldn't be the only one to get annoyed if he failed to deliver. 

The bouncer scanned the photos. "Yeah, I know," he rumbled. "Hang on. You guys bring weapons in here and it'll be a damn bloodbath, and we don't want this place closed down." Slowly he moved into the crowd of patrons. 

Raijin asked, "Why not just check our weapons, Seifer? It's not like these guys would be hard to beat." 

Fujin scowled at him. "TRUST," she said flatly, and Seifer nodded to her. 

"Exactly, Fuuj," he said. "We'd have to _trust_ that they didn't smuggle in some homemade weapon, while we'd _definitely_ be without ours. I'm not in the mood for stupid risks today." 

In a few moments the bouncer returned, the two soldiers in tow. They didn't look happy to be pulled from their drinking. 

"We'll take it from here," Seifer said to the bouncer, as Fujin and Raijin each took a soldier by the shoulder, one hand clamping down in the universal 'you're not going _anywhere' _grip. Before the befuddled soldiers could protest, they were steered outside, and the bouncer slammed the door closed behind them. 

"Hey now, wha's goin' on?" said one, just beginning to be upset. 

"This is the time when you find out how good your memory is," said Seifer. "Either that, or how many punches it takes before you give up that cat's piss this place calls beer. All the same to me." He smirked, with his old trademark smirk, the one that said it really _wasn't_ all the same to him, actually - he'd _much_ prefer to beat them bloody and only some very intelligent answers were going to stop him. 

Even through the beer, the soldiers were aware that the evening had permanently lost any modicum of fun. An hour and a half later, the two were hustled on board the Ragnarok and locked in one of its many rooms to nurse their bruises, while recordings of their version of recent events were safely locked away with the rest of the evidence. Later, when they were provably sober, they'd get a version that could be used in a court. Juries had mixed reactions to the confessions of drunks. 

Seifer wasn't going to risk these two witnesses meeting up with 'accidental' deaths. No, they were going to go right back to Garden, where the locks were a lot tougher and so were the guards. The posse's mission was finished - proof now tied General Torben and Soares Detmer to Laguna's assassination. All that was left was Irvine's half; tying up the Galbadian loose ends. 

"Fire up the engines, Fuuj," he said. "We're going home." 


	12. 

[12]Motives Xu glared at Zell, pulling off a creditable imitation of Squall on a _very_ bad day. Zell found himself reacting the same way, too - a strong desire to go find a rock somewhere and hide under it until the storm passed. He squirmed uncomfortably in the chair he'd been ordered to sit in, and tried not to let his nerves get the better of him. 

"You just _decided_, all on your own, to release one of the most powerful and useful Guardian Forces the Garden has ever acquired," she said flatly. "No consulting with any superiors, including the partner of the person on whose behalf you did this. Am I correct?" 

Not exactly, but Zell had promised he'd take the knocks for this and he would. So, keeping his mouth very firmly shut, he nodded. 

"Well. I am glad you felt you could just waltz in here and tell me you let Leviathan go, but to put it in the simplest terms, _what the hell did you think you were doing?_" 

Zell took a deep breath. "Well, for one, I _thought_ I was helping a Garden Administrator," he said - careful to keep any emotion out of his voice. It wasn't his best skill, not by a long shot, but one didn't get anywhere in Garden without at least a little ability to hide one's thoughts, and he had after all been taught by the best even if he wasn't the greatest student of the art. 

"Kadowaki informed us that Selphie would have recovered on her own, Zell," snapped Xu, "so don't go waving the holier-than-thou flag at me. You got impatient, and wanted to play the hero. Fine. But now Garden has permanently lost the Recover ability - there is no way for us to recapture the Leviathan, not when it has the oceans of the entire world to swim in, and such protective coloration to boot. Because of that loss, other SeeDs will die when they might have lived. Did you think of that?" 

Honestly, he hadn't - he'd just wanted to help Irvine and Selphie. But he didn't think it'd be a good idea to admit that. "Leviathan hasn't been free in Hyne knows how long, Commander," he said instead. "I couldn't find any records of her first capture. She used her own power to heal Selphie - I thought it was a fair trade." 

"Zell, you don't have the rank to do your own thinking," stated Xu. "Garden did not authorize you to release Leviathan. As of now, you are demoted three ranks, for endangering future SeeDs who will not have Leviathan's power to draw on." She flipped a printout out of a folder and set it in front of him. "And another two ranks for the mess you made in Esthar. Seifer has uncovered evidence enough to bring two people to trial - and one of them is Estharian. He's _also_ uncovered enough evidence to prove you were incompetent in your last assignment. You should have known about the assassination attempt." 

Zell's eyes widened in shock. Five ranks? Great Hyne - that shot all of his intramural instruction to pieces; he wouldn't even have the rank to work with Bella in the Library Committee. He just _barely_ had the rank to even be asked to _join_ any high-profile missions, and he certainly wouldn't be given any responsibilities in one beyond saying 'Yes, Sir' a lot. He was co-equal with Fujin and Raijin now...if they wanted to get to him, they could. Just..._great_. He didn't have anything to say to Xu; at this point he could only dig himself in deeper. 

She flipped out another file. "The Estharians hired us, and will take the arrest of General Torben in hand themselves. _You_ are going to grab Irvine and find out where Soares Detmer is, and what he hoped to get out of the assassination; we have evidence enough to try him, but it's always easier to convict if we can prove a motive. While you're at it, notify the Galbadian authorities to undertake the arrest and extradition of whichever Felian happens to be the one behind getting that gun from Winhill, and see whether we need to arrest Caraway as well. That's all that there is left on this case - you'd better enjoy it, because once you've taken care of these two _simple_ matters, you're going to be staying right here until I can bring myself to deal with you again. Dismissed." 

Zell stood up quickly, and saluted. He marched himself out of the Commander's office as fast as he could, heading for the training center. He had a near uncontrollable urge to beat the living daylights out of something, and there might be a T-rexaur in there willing to volunteer. It was, after all, one of the main functions of the Training Center - to provide an acceptable outlet for the sort of energy a large number of trained mercenaries all in one place could engender. 

Maybe he was so furious because he was fighting back the urge to cry. He'd been so _sure_ it was an outside job...and he'd been mostly right. But mostly right hadn't saved Laguna. His friend was dead, and three more hospitalized, because he'd fucked up. Damn - couldn't he get _anything_ right? He was tempted to put a huge dent in the doors to the Training Center as they opened, but with some effort held back the impulse. If nothing else, Squall had taught him that punching doors got you fined, while punching monsters got you a pay raise. He was in the mood for a 'pay raise' right now... 

A grat came out of the jungle terrain of the Training Center; Zell punched it so hard its bulbous stomach deflated. The high-pitched death squeal it gave off summoned others - Zell punched and kicked and spun so fast his limbs were almost invisible, creating a swath of destruction, but it wasn't helping any. Grats were too easy; one or two well-placed hits and they were dead. 

"Hey, bonehead!" he yelled. "You wanna piece of me? Get your lizard tail out here, ya coward!" He wanted, _needed_, a hard fight - something to pull his mind off being demoted, off being responsible for his friends' death and pain. He grinned fiercely, demonically, on the adrenaline rush this place always engendered. One of the advantages of the Training Center was that Griever would say nothing in here - they had a long-standing agreement that it wouldn't try to talk when there were monsters around. Right at this moment he didn't want to talk to _any_ of his friends. He couldn't shake the feeling that if he did, something bad would happen to them, too. 

He heard a roaring - that would be the target. He bounded toward it, moving much faster here than any of his friends ever could. As it had been for Squall, the Training Center was practically a second home to him - but for different reasons. Zell found the challenge of the Center endlessly fascinating, above and beyond merely fighting monsters. He'd once fought a pack of grats while hanging upside-down from a tree branch, just for variety and to see what it felt like. For him, trees and vines were opportunities; to Squall they had always been mere features of terrain, a help or a hindrance but certainly not an option for position. 

He took advantage of a handy tree and shot up it - anyone observing would have sworn he used a Float spell to climb so fast. He didn't try fancy tricks against T-Rexaurs - but the fight always went better if your enemy was at eye level. 

The monster crashed through branches in search of food; generally the Garden T-rexaurs lived on grats but they were always willing to eat any SeeD or cadet foolish enough to fight alone. It could sense a human presence near, but there wasn't wind enough to carry Zell's scent to it, and the tattoo tended to confuse some of its pattern recognition. As soon as it was just barely in range, Zell took a flying leap from his perch to land on its head. 

The dinosaur roared, of course, and thrashed its head trying to shake the puny intruder off, but this was Zell's favorite tactic because it _worked_, and he wasn't going to be shaken off. He drove his fists into the T-Rexaur's skull again and again, powerful Ergheiz gauntlets beginning to crack the skull. Punch, again and again, harder and harder until the skull cracked and you were pulverizing squishy brain matter... 

The lizard's short arms couldn't reach him on the top of its head, its teeth couldn't bite him here. All he had to do was hang on, and vent his frustration on it. T-rexaurs were powerful but amazingly stupid; they didn't need a lot of brain power to fight, so you pretty much had to puree the stuff to really kill them. And of course, if he fell off, it could easily kill him with its death throes. They were the primary reason cadets were cautioned against fighting in the Center alone. Punching through the skull was the easiest and safest way to kill them by physical contact alone - though 'easiest' in this case did not translate to 'easy' by any means. 

A shot rang out, then another and another. The T-rexaur fell, and Zell leaped clear - catching on a handy branch and shimmying down. 

"What the fuck d'you think you were doing, fighting one of those alone?" demanded Irvine, holstering his Exeter rifle. "Even Seifer doesn't fight in here alone!" 

Zell hadn't finished pulverizing the lizard so he punched a hefty crack in a tree with his bloody, gore-covered gloves. "I'm doin' what we're taught to do when we're pissed off," he snapped. "I'm takin' it out on the monsters instead of the person I'm _really_ wanting to pound right now - and if you don't mind I can damn well take care of myself. I've been huntin' toramas and iron giants in Esthar for a long time now, this place is _tame_." 

Irvine's eyes went wide at Zell's angry retort, and he held up a hand. "Whoa, there, partner - what's going on?" His eyes narrowed in sudden suspicion. "You took the knocks for Leviathan, didn't you," he said slowly. "Damnit, I knew I shoulda locked you in your room yesterday. I _told_ you I'd take the heat for that, hell _I'm_ the one that ordered you to do something..." He shook his head. 

"You didn't know what you were sayin' Irv," said Zell shortly. "You were so messed up seein' Selphie like that - and I know I'd be just as bad in your place. I took the smack 'cause I _did_ know what I was doin' and I figured it was worth it." He grimaced. "Didn't think Xu would smack so _hard_ though." 

Irvine took Zell by the arm and gently marched him out of the Training Center. "All right, what'd she do," he said heavily. "Man, you did this for _me_ - well, me and Selphie. I gotta know what you're payin' for it." 

Zell wanted to sit down, but couldn't - too much nervous energy, and with the interrupted fight an unsatiated need to _pound_ something. He flowed through some kata to work it off; he'd go back to fighting when Irvine had gone. "Five ranks, and confinement to Garden indefinitely once this case is done," he admitted. 

Irvine's jaw dropped. "Now, _that_ is too much," he murmured. He pulled his hat off and ran his hand through his hair. "There is no _way_ you deserve that - not when it was for a Garden administrator. Doesn't Xu value _anybody_ around here? Hell I thought she was Selphie's _friend_." 

Zell slowed down, shook his head. "It's not just because of Leviathan," he said. "It's cause I screwed up in Esthar - should've _known_ what was coming in time to stop it. Xu says Seifer got proof." 

"Yeah, well, even so - but maybe you can get a few ranks back if we pull this off smoothly. That's what I came to tell you: we're just about to reach Deling City, and it's time to get ready to go." 

Zell stopped and looked down at himself; he was covered in sap, and T-Rexaur blood and brains. There was no way he'd be let out of Garden like this. "Yeah well wait for me to get cleaned up willya?" he said. "I'll meetcha out the front gate, gimme half an hour tops." 

Irvine touched his fingers to his hat, habitual salute between friends. "Gotcha," he said, and moved off. 

He was overtaken a bare two seconds later by a madly sprinting Zell, who had decided that maybe a good run would help matters. 

* * * * * * * * *

The four SeeDs disembarked from the temporarily stationary Garden in such precision of formation as to make a drill sergeant weep. This was not because they wanted to, particularly, but because any time the Garden approached a city it tended to make that city nervous. Deling City had a _very_ wide perimeter, being as it was the capital of Galbadia, so SeeD had to make it very clear that yes, only four people were getting off here and the rest of Garden would be moving on shortly. Admittedly one of them was a very tired-looking woman in the uniform of a Garden Administrator, but it wasn't unprecedented that the leaders of Garden take part in a mission. Selphie had absolutely refused to stay behind; she had a personal score to settle with whoever had sent that bomb, and she intended to collect. Personally. Xu hadn't argued. 

The four SeeDs waited patiently until the Garden got back into motion and had clearly moved away before they broke formation. Irvine immediately offered Selphie his arm, and gently scolded her for getting out of bed so early. 

"I'm fine, Irvy," she smiled. "Leviathan fixed all the stuff that was wrong, remember? I'm just tired." 

"You should've stayed in Garden," he said. "It's safer there." 

"Yeah, so safe that I can get nearly blown to smithereens in my own office. Thanks but no thanks, I'll take my chances out here where I can swing my nunchaku." She looked over at Zell. "I didn't get to say thanks before, Zell," she said with a smile only slightly tired around the edges. "I hope ya gave Leviathan a big sloppy kiss good-bye." 

Zell shrugged. "She's free," he said. "She didn't want to hang around for chitchat." He was still feeling a bit bruised from Xu's ranting, and didn't really want to talk about it. "Hey, Irvine - where are we headed first?" 

"The hotel," he said firmly. "We gotta get Sefie settled in so she can crash this afternoon. Then I want you to scout Caraway's place while I see if my old buddies around town know anything about Detmer. Bella - you're staying at the hotel with Sef, both 'cause she's gonna need catching up, and so either one of us can report in easily. You can relay info back and forth easier from there than anywhere else." 

Bella nodded. "You don't have to explain, Irvine," she said. "I have my own reasons for wanting to stay at the hotel anyway. By the way - I've gotten some of the tracker phones from Garden to make things easier. They broadcast a low-power signal that will help us find you if you fail to check in." 

"Hey, good idea," grinned Irvine. "Damn, I love smart women." 

"Smartass," laughed Selphie. 

"You got an IQ test to prove that?" retorted Irvine with a grin. He loved nothing more than the perpetual 'arguments' with Selphie, except knowing that she was around to have the arguments _with_. 

* * * * * * * *

They got settled in at the hotel, Selphie stretched out on her stomach in the classic girl-with-a-telephone pose, idly chatting with Bella as she set up her laptop to pick up the signals from the two tracker phones. Once that was done, Bella handed one phone to each of the men and a copy of the hotel room's number, and wished them luck. 

Irvine gave the girls a jaunty wave, and Zell gave Bella a bearhug and a kiss. Then they left, heading for their separate assignments. 

As soon as the sound of their footsteps had faded down the corridor, Selphie said, "What were your reasons, Bella?" 

Bella blushed. "I was hoping no one would catch that," she said. "The guys don't pick up on hints like that, I guess I've just gotten too used to hanging around with them." 

Selphie nodded sagely, but there was avid curiosity in her eyes. "I may be tired, but I'm a lot quicker on how people say things than either of those two," she laughed. "Come on, spill the beans - you _know_ neither one of 'em will check in for at least a few hours." 

Bella's blush deepened. "You wouldn't mind letting me tell Zell first, would you Garden Master?" 

Selphie looked confused for a moment, and said, "Why would Zell -" her mouth made a perfect O. "Oh! Wow, congratulations! When's it due?" 

Bella sighed, still blushing furiously. "About eight months, at my best guess. I didn't know until I was late. We've been so busy lately..." she shrugged. 

"Well, Xu's going to confine Zell to Garden for a while anyway," yawned Selphie with a grin. "I think you've probably hit on the one thing that'll make him not mind. When're you going to tell him?" 

"After this is over," said Bella decisively. "I don't mind taking due precaution - like working from here for example - but if I told Zell now, he'd try to wrap me in packing bubbles and ship me back to Garden. That would mean Fujin would be sent to finish this leg of the case, and neither he nor Irvine can handle Fujin." 

"Yeah," said Selphie. "I work with her when I have to, but she's just got 'cold fish' written all over her, you know? She gives Irvine the shivers." She giggled tiredly, starting to fall asleep. "Maybe it's just 'cause Fuuj doesn't hesitate in the kicking-inna-shins department..." 

Bella chatted with her a little longer, until sleepiness took Selphie over. Kadowaki had said it would be like this for a little bit, until she'd adjusted to Leviathan's healing. When Bella noticed Selphie's even breathing, she smiled and turned back to her console. It had been pleasant enough to indulge in girl talk for a little while, but the guys would be reporting in soon and she needed to be ready. 

* * * * * * * *

Irvine sauntered through the streets of Deling City like he owned the place. He didn't really, but it was impossible for him to get lost here. He was the only one of the orphanage group gifted with a photographic memory, and he'd been the last to use a GF - a practice he still avoided as much as possible. When he'd learned he was the _only_ one to remember the early days when they'd all been together, he'd started a memory journal. It wasn't finished yet, but he had everything really important down. 

He just wished the others hadn't already lost their pieces of the puzzle. His beloved Sefie knew she'd been adopted by a couple in Trabia, for example, but she couldn't remember any more what their names had been or why she'd gone to Trabia Garden. The same went for Quistis. Seifer and Squall hadn't been able to recall if they were ever adopted at all - though Squall had minded that much less than Seifer did, understandably enough. Of them all, only Zell had kept in touch with his adoptive family, and only Squall had found his birth family. Irvine envied them both about equally; it didn't matter whose blood ran in your veins, so long as someone you could call 'mom' or 'dad' cared about you. 

Irvine remembered being adopted all right. And he remembered his new parents being shot just like the originals had probably been. Here in Deling City, brightly-lit town of the wild nights. No, the streets of Deling were definitely a second home; he'd survived for months on his own before the authorities had picked him up and packed him off to Galbadia Garden, just one more orphan in the litter. He'd learned about the power of a gun early on, the way even weak men could kill with it. He'd resolved to be the best there ever had been with it, and he'd succeeded. Good enough to put his bullets through the layers of protection Ultimecia had surrounded herself with - and there was no way to be better than that. 

One day he'd find the pitiful excuses for soldiers who had shot his adoptive parents for political reasons. And he'd be very careful to _miss_ every single artery and vein, so they'd have a long time to think about orphaning young children. Just thinking about it was enough to make him clench his fists as he walked; he forced himself to calm down. There was the alley; he made sure his gun was in easy reach and ducked down it. If memory served... 

Yes. One manhole cover among the hundreds dotted around the city, but _this_ one led to the Den. Irvine wasn't proud of what he'd had to do, those few months on his own, but on missions like this that time proved invaluable. He pulled out a crowbar that was hidden within a nearby fire escape, and pried up the cover. He returned the crowbar before he disappeared down the hole, pulling the lid back on behind him. 

It was dark down here, of course - but it _wasn't_ a sewer. That was what made that one cover different; it had been made to look like any other sewer entrance, but it connected to a different tunnel system entirely. There were maybe a dozen large rooms down here, each committed wholeheartedly to some vice or other. He knew his way in the dark, counted off the doorways from memory: card games, dice games, het sex, gay sex, recreational drugs, hard drugs... 

He stopped by the door that led to 'drug research'. Where the few kids with wealth enough and an interest in biology and chemistry spent their days. All the doors had numerical keypads; he knew the codes he'd known back then wouldn't work now; he visited too infrequently to be informed of code changes. He knocked instead. 

And was greeted by blinding light, followed by a gun barrel poking out of the door at him. He didn't need his eyes to aim, though - by the time his eyes adjusted, he saw clearly that the barrel of Exeter was aimed squarely at the opening. Probably the only thing that had saved his life, but hey - life was a gamble. This was his best shot at some useful answers. 

The one behind the door withdrew his gun. "All right, I recognize you," grumbled a voice. "Now put your noisemaker away or you leave here in boxes." 

Irvine grinned and re-holstered the Exeter. "Hello, Joyboy. Long time no see." The door unlatched and opened, revealing a young man about Irvine's age, pale with the sort of paleness that only comes from never seeing daylight. Behind him was an amazingly expensive laboratory, given the surroundings. Irvine tapped two fingers to his hat and stepped inside, letting Joyboy close the door behind him. 

The pale man didn't look too thrilled to see him. "What have you been up to lately, Cowboy?" he rasped. "How's life in SeeD?" 

Irvine shrugged. "I muddle along," he said casually. "Got me a pretty girl worth settling down with...but I told ya all that last time. Nothing really new in my life lately." _At least, nothing I'd care to tell you about, but that's a different story..._

"So long as you're happy, and you're not here to try and bring me in," said Joyboy. "But you're too bright for that, aren't ya?" 

Irvine grinned. "Yep," he said. "I'm actually after some guy called Soares Detmer. He's done some high-profile nastiness over Esthar way, and since he had a rep there for a unique joy pill, I figure you know him." 

"I ain't testifyin', Cowboy," said Joyboy firmly. "I ain't goin' anywhere they got those security cameras up. I'm only safe as long as they don't have any data on me but my name." 

Irvine located a clear spot of workbench and hopped up, taking a seat. "You don't have to testify, Joy, I wouldn't do that to you. I just need whatever you can give me on this guy. He's goin' _down_, Joy - he helped shoot a President. You _know_ there's no giving up on a case like that. Somebody's going down for it. Besides - the guy he offed was a good friend o' mine. And I always collect on those debts." 

"Yeah, yeah, I know," grumbled Joyboy. "Damned hero, you think you are. Fine, be a damned hero. Soares is a...hobbyist. We all know about him, but he doesn't know about us yet. Rich kid - real bright. He inherited the family wealth about two years ago, and he's been one busy little beaver since then. Bright but _stupid_. He's been tryin' to build a network, and he's got one - just not the one he thinks he's got. I know about his joy pills, too - they're an old mix of _mine_, that I left alone 'cause there was no money in it. No addiction, see? No guaranteed income. He uses 'em like party favors, rewards for his friends. Shoot his ass if you want - damn wannabe just gets on my nerves. No _drive_." 

_No customers,_ thought Irvine. _Well, at least he's not going around addicting little kids. Assassin yeah, but he leaves the kids alone. I might just let him live to see trial._ Irvine had very firm views on people who preyed on children. He was all in favor of a very slow and painful death, for example. 

"You know where I can find Soares these days, Joy?" he asked. 

"He's got the Detmer mansion, north side of town," shrugged Joyboy. "Doesn't need a fancy hideout when he's got his own playboy mansion with a lockable basement." 

"Thanks, Joy," said Irvine. "You want me to owe you one, or will you take cash?" 

"I'll take the favor this time, Cowboy," said Joyboy. "One day, they might just send your skinny ass after _me_, and it'll be nice to have a prior claim on ya. Go on, get off with ya - I got work to do." 

"Gotcha," said Irvine, hopping off the table. As soon as he was out the door he heard it shut and bolt behind him. He suppressed a chuckle. One of the great advantages of being a SeeD was that you didn't have to play cops and robbers. SeeD was very live-and-let-live, operating as it did on its own laws and loyalties. He'd had to deliver all sorts of less-than-legal packages for Joyboy when they were kids together (he really had been creating designer drugs at seven and eight years old, hence his name), and that sort of record would've kept him out of most respectable jobs. SeeD just saw a kid trying to survive, and showed him a cleaner way to go about it. 

And then gave him back the friends he had lost, practically brain-wiped. Irvine grimaced as he pulled himself out of the manhole and returned the cover. Damn, that mission just bit rocks. Yeah, here's your long-lost orphanage friends, only they don't remember you and they don't remember the lady they're sent to kill is the matron who loved them... 

Irvine set himself along the roads that would take him to the north side of town, where he could probably charm some girl into giving him directions to the Detmer residence. Or he could listen for the sounds of a party, if Joyboy was right. What was Detmer getting out of this? He already had his family wealth and his house of parties... 

He was being followed. Someone was mimicking his footsteps, just barely out of true sync. Irvine ducked down the first alley he came to and drew Exeter, ready to blast whoever it was if they were doing more than pulling a stupid prank. 

No sound of pursuit; whoever it was trailing him had just stopped. Cautiously, he poked his head around the corner, ready to send a spray of dark shot at the trailer. 

It was a _girl_. A very pretty little girl, about thirteen years old, grinning mischievously. Irvine didn't budge. He knew from personal experience that kids weren't necessarily innocent, not in Deling City. 

"Come out," said the girl. "I have a message for you." She raised her hands from her sides so that he could see she carried no weapon. 

Irvine stepped out and holstered Exeter, but kept his hand within easy reach of the grip. "Yeah?" he said. "From who?" 

"Death," said the girl, as her hair blew back of its own accord, blown by a wind only she felt. _Something's wrong with her eyes,_ thought Irvine, but even his quick hands didn't get time to go for his gun. He felt like he was being compressed into a tiny ball, no breath even to scream as his body felt heavy, compressed, crushed by its own weight into the earth. He was as helpless as a kitten as he fell to the ground - having only energy enough to fall on the side away from the tracer phone. Bella's tracer was his only hope now. 

He fought to breathe. He knew this attack, _knew_ it. Stronger than Demi, stronger than any other gravity spell....but Diablos was still at Garden, wasn't it? How would a thirteen year old kid have Diablos? 

His eyes closed; he couldn't keep them open, they were too heavy. Distantly he heard footsteps, felt himself being picked up... 


	13. Evidence

[13]Evidence Zell pulled on the last of his outfit for the day - skintight camoflage - with a satisfied grunt. The material was stretchy so as to be comfortable, but he couldn't help feeling a bit exposed. It was, after all, _uniformly_ tight. 

"Okay, all set," he said to the head of security. "Now, you're sure the settings are the same as they were on the days I gave you?" 

"Yep," said the chief. "And if you get through without the alarms going off, even in that getup, I will personally buy you the pizza of your choice." 

"Deal," grinned Zell. "I've got the sensor on, and the camera. If I prove a thief could've gotten in and out both times without being picked up, there's enough doubt to clear Caraway. Don't lose the tape!" 

"I do this every day, SeeD," said the security chief. "I know the ropes. Get on with you." 

Zell pulled the mask on, and winced as always when it crunched his spikes. He left the mansion and got a good thousand feet away from it, then radioed back. "Switch everything on fellas, I'm out of range now." 

_"Gotcha,"_ came the response. 

_Now, if I was a freaked out nutball looking to sneak into Caraway's, what would I do?_ Zell asked himself, looking over the mansion's layout. He was supposed to do this with as few resources as possible so as to measure the possible security risk. He checked the pan of the security cameras from where he stood using binoculars. Yes, he could get through that level without being seen, if he were quick. Counting under his breath, there was a thirty second window where the cameras were blind to his chosen route of entrance - a nice, big tree with overhanging branches. He flexed his fingers in the doubled gloves - regular gloves overlaid with his Ergheiz cestus. Enough flexibility to grip where he'd need it, yes. And from the tree...well, he was supposed to be an amateur. He'd just have to see what opportunities were there. 

The security window opened and Zell sprinted for the tree, easily concealing himself in the branches before the cameras swept back. The little earpiece he was wearing didn't beep - the people inside, who were watching every screen and sensor, hadn't seen him. 

So far, so good. Now...let's see. Weather reports said the nights had been clear before Detmer showed up in Estar with the gun, so he couldn't use mist to spot any motion detector beams. And using an infrared scanner would be _cheating_, so...hm. Where would the beams be hidden best? Probably near the gate - like, under his perch in this tree - and near the house. Caraway wasn't made of money, after all. Best to put the security at the entrance and exit rather than flood the whole lawn... 

The guess was confirmed when he heard the sound of dogs loose on the grounds. He wouldn't want motion detection beams out where his own dogs would set them off. So that meant...probably near the entry points of the mansion itself; just windows and doors. Now, as to the dogs...Zell grinned. More than once, Rinoa had set her furry demon Angelo to waking him up in the morning; it looked like payback time. Not that Angelo had been unruly; on the contrary, the dog had been quite the pleasant houseguest at the Presidential Palace - Laguna had 'adopted' it after Rinoa entered Griever. It was just that ... well, big dog, open door... it was not the best way to wake up in the morning. 

One, two, four...six dogs. Attack dogs, not the halfway job that Angelo was. Even at his best, he could only handle four at a single time, and it would be less when trying to keep things quiet. 

Well...even amateurs could see that there were dogs on the property. Hell, there was even a big ol' "Beware of Dogs" sign on the front gate. So it wasn't cheating to use something aimed at dogs... 

He blew a dog whistle, and when all six came running, dropped a small canister of sleeping gas before they could start yapping too loudly. Problem solved. 

He scanned the grounds as well as he could, looking for a tree near a window. Caraway had grown complacent in his years here, trees were growing where they should not. None were near the house itself though. With the dogs down, he sprinted for the tree that he could see that was closest to the house. From there, at least, he could get an idea of the house's security. 

He climbed the tree as high as he could without bending branches, and got out his binoculars again. Focusing on the windows, he spotted motion detectors and sweeping security cameras. It looked tight, but obviously it couldn't be. Not for the gun to have been stolen _and_ returned, with no one in the house the wiser. He increased the magnification and carefully scanned each window in turn. 

Hmm, interesting. One of the motion detectors was disconnected; quite expertly, too. He only noticed it because he had his binoculars on maximum magnification and he was looking for it. He checked for nearby security cameras; yes, these were on a wide pan - he'd have a whole minute at the window to get in and close it behind him. Assuming the window wasn't locked, but since it was a storey up it probably wasn't. People tended to assume thieves wouldn't want the climb. 

How to get up there...Zell laughed silently to himself. Whoever had disabled the motion detectors had had top-of-the-line gear on them; this was no amateur hack. Zell gagued the distance from the ground to the window - yes, junctioned to Griever he could make that leap easily. Whoever had disabled the motion detector had had equipment; Zell had only what he could fit in a few _very_ tiny pockets in his body suit. But then, Zell was SeeD. _And damn proud of it, too..._

When the security window opened, Zell burst into motion. He didn't race across the yard, though. He took bounding, leaping flips that covered a lot more ground, and gave him momentum for the final jump. He got himself latched against the windowsill inside fifteen seconds, letting out his breath before he hit the building so as to make as little noise as possible. A thin knifeblade under the window pried it up and he was in, well before the minute was up. 

He checked the motion detector from the inside, and realized that that was how it had been disabled. From the inside. Someone had _already_ been in the house, and cut the wires. But if they were already inside, why cut them at all? 

_So they can come back later,_ Zell realized with a start. The gun was large; someone over for a social or business reason would be spotted walking away with that gun. But they could come in with a knife, and make sure that their _next_ visit was unannounced. With a full minute, they could bring a light ladder with them and pull it up after themselves. 

He walked down the hallway and gave an insolent wave to the guard by the display where the gun had hung. He'd gotten in here with nary a peep from security, proving that someone _could_ have set Caraway up. Time to go collect on that pizza; Bella would love it. 

* * * * * * * * * *

Irvine was standing on a beach, a stiff cold wind pulling hair out of his habitual ponytail and threatening to blow away his hat, as it whipped up little whitecaps on the water. 

The beach near the orphanage, in Centra. A surprising place to be, given that the last thing he remembered was being zapped by a kid in Deling City. 

Or perhaps not so surprising. There was a clarity to his surroundings, an emptiness, that told him this was one of those Dreams he'd had as a kid. The ones after his adoptive parents had been shot, where they would be alive again and talking to him, telling him things would be all right... 

Irvine was older now. He looked back on those Dreams, those clear visions, and with adult consideration realized they were more than mere wishful thinking on the part of a bereaved child. His parents really had been talking to him, it seemed. Putting his dreams together with what Zell had told him about the fight with Leviathan...this had to be eternity. It had been more reassuring when he hadn't known, all told. 

Had that little girl killed him? Would he be with his parents now...gosh there would be four of them wouldn't there, if he knew who to seek...he looked around. There was no sign of his adoptive parents. The Dreams had stopped when he went to Garden; maybe his parents figured he had had proper guidance at that point. Or maybe he'd just been too tired from cadet training to Dream. 

He looked around and realized he wasn't alone. Perched on a high rock, the wind ruffling his hair and the white fur on his jacket's collar, was Squall. He was simply sitting there, still as his surroundings, one leg curled beneath him and the other drawn up so that his knee was almost under his chin, his arms wrapped loosely around it. He was watching Irvine, but didn't seem inclined to say anything. He was just there. 

_I think I would have preferred to see my parents,_ sighed Irvine to himself, but he gave Squall a nod. "You can quit playing statue," he said. "I see you now." 

Squall just shrugged. "Why are you here, Irvine?" he asked, as though Irvine must have a reason. 

"Do I need a reservation?" said Irvine. "This was my home too. But if you mean why _here_, as in the same place you are...it happens sometimes. Hell, for all I know I'm dead." 

Squall's eyes flashed briefly, dark amber-gold - making Irvine realize that before they had been gray. "You're alive," he said definitively. "We have a...sense about these things." 

"In that case I'm just asleep," shrugged Irvine. "Used to happen more often when I was a kid. Used to talk to my adopted parents here, in my dreams." He faced away from Squall, watching the waves hit the beach. "The question isn't why _I'm_ here, Squall. The question is, why are _you_ here? You made your choice, though I don't see Rinoa around. Why did you want to talk to me?" 

"She's in the flower field," said Squall. "She knew you were here and sent me. Figured you'd have an easier time with me than her, Hyne knows why." 

"What, no royal 'we'?" said Irvine, unable to keep bitterness out of his voice. "I'm flattered." 

"It's not royal," said Squall, unruffled as always. "We are...inseparable. A small part of her is with us now, and a small part of me is with her now. We've learned how to adjust the balance enough to justify a singular pronoun sometimes. Right now...I'm _mostly_ the Squall you knew. Just not completely that. It seems to be easier for you guys to deal with us when we...split up a bit." 

Irvine still wouldn't look at him; it still hurt that they had abandoned their friends for...this. But since he was here, he might as well make use of it. "Yeah, I know. Zell's lousy at explaining things like that, but I worked out what he meant." He studied the clouds overhead as they flowed by. "Well, since for some reason I'm here, I might as well put the time to good use. Do you talk to the other GFs?" 

"...Sometimes." 

"Would you be willing to talk to Diablos?" 

"...Why?" 

"'Cause the last thing I remember before this happy trip down Memory Lane was being hit with Diablos' power by a little kid. If it's been stolen from Garden, I'm assuming it would know who its thief was." 

"We are not junctioned," said a new voice behind Irvine and to his left. It startled him, and he jumped reflexively. He spun around to find himself confronted by a short young man with oriental features and a rather flamboyant outfit, whose eyes were a solid field of yellow gold - brighter than the amber-gold, cat-pupiled eyes Squall had when he spoke as Griever. He turned his head to Squall, and Irvine could see his hair in a straight braid down his back. "Hello again, Scarface," he said cheerfully. "So this is one of your friends?" 

Irvine couldn't help it, he cracked up laughing. " '_Scarface_'?" he asked. "Do you have _any_ idea how long I've waited for someone to say that to his face?" 

Squall stood up, and dismissed the nickname with a wave. "He's not teasing, Irvine, he just says that so he can tell us apart." 

"Tell _who_ apart?" asked Irvine, still trying to hold back a laugh. "You got a twin or something hiding under a rock?" 

"No," said Squall flatly, and refused to elaborate. 

"We aren't junctioned right now," the boy repeated. "Whatever hit you, it wasn't us." 

"Which means you're Diablos," said Irvine, finally calm again - though a little grin kept fighting at the corners of his mouth. "Isn't there supposed to be two of you? Sorceresses are always pretty, and I'd hate to miss paying my respects." 

"Irvine - " warned Squall, but too late. The boy didn't look it, but he was strong. He picked the sharpshooter up and threw him headfirst into the ocean. Irvine came up spitting sand and seawater. 

"Your friend needs to learn how to be polite to a Sorceress," said the colorful boy to Squall, frowning. "If there's nothing else, we'll see you later." 

Squall nodded, and the boy disappeared. Irvine waded to shore, thankful he hadn't been thrown so far out as to need to swim; with his coat and boots he'd have sunk like a rock. "Spunky kid," he said. 

"A Guardian Force," said Squall. "It's best not to judge them by appearances." 

Irvine, now on dry land again, began pulling his boots off and emptying the seawater out of them. "Yeah, I gathered that," he grumbled. "What'd he mean about being polite to Sorceresses? I don't think I ever bugged Rinoa half as much as you did at first." 

"Different times had different attitudes," said Squall simply. "In general, act like you're addressing a deity - if it's too much, they'll tell you. You see what they do if it's too little." 

Irvine scowled at him. "I am not going to talk to you like you're a god, Squall. Or Rinoa either." 

"Didn't ask you to. I did say 'in general'. Tell me about this attack. If it isn't Diablos..." Squall frowned, and closed his eyes. 

Irvine calmed down again, worried. "Yeah," he said. "I get ya. So...that whole can of worms is opened again." He took a deep breath. "I'm not going to like waking up, I think." 

"You _have_ to stop whoever's started this up again," said Squall, and there was something new in his voice now. If it had been anyone else speaking to him, Irvine might have labeled it 'fear'. "That power...you can't take it away from someone once it's given. If they've found a stabilizing agent, there will be war. It'll make the last two Sorceress wars look like a kid's game of wooden swords." 

"I know!" snapped Irvine. "You think I don't know that? I worked with Selphie, we tried everything on the Leviathan..." he shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said. "I saw the effects but not the cause. That rooftop was cleaner than most windows. _Lots_ cleaner than the windows right under it, that's for sure." 

"Don't ask," was all Squall said, and looked out to sea. "Irvine...it has been good to see you again." 

Irvine's hands balled into fists, and he kept his gaze firmly on the ground. "You abandoned us," he said. "You had friends, a _family_..." 

"What did you tell Zell, when he said there might be a way to help Selphie?" asked Squall calmly. "We all have our price, Irvine. We're SeeD." 

"All right," sighed Irvine. "I'll try to let it go. But since you can work in both worlds, I want a promise from you and Rinoa." 

The gray in Squall's eyes shifted back to that rich amber-gold that meant the person Irvine was looking at was as much Rinoa as Squall. "Ask," said Griever. Irvine could even hear Rinoa's voice. Eerie. 

Irvine took a deep breath. "Those of us left...some of us are starting families soon. You look after them, okay? SeeD's a dangerous life. You do whatever you have to, to keep them safe. More than you'd do for the rest of SeeD, I mean. No more orphans - make sure they've always at least got you." 

Griever blinked slowly. "As much as we can do, we will do," it said. Once again Irvine caught a hint of something else in its voice, something out of place. 

Irvine nodded. "Thanks," he said. "Now...I've probably got a few hours until I wake up, and it's gonna be hell from there on in. If you don't mind, I'd rather say hi to my folks with the time I have left." 

Squall/Griever nodded, and vanished. _Probably gone to the flower field,_ Irvine thought, and heard footsteps behind him. 

"Hi mom, hi dad," he said with a grin, and began filling them in on life since his last Dream. 

* * * * * * * * *

Zell returned to the hotel room with his arms full of hot pizza boxes. "Midnight snack time," he grinned. "Stupid security guard thought a SeeD couldn't get past his defenses." 

Bella leaned back from her console and rubbed her eyes; Selphie was asleep on one of the beds. "Zell, I think we've got trouble," she said. 

"Trouble?" Zell immediately deposited the pizza on a handy surface. "Lemme get out of this catsuit, man. I can't look an enemy in the eye when I'm feelin' exposed, y'know." 

"Be quick," said Bella. "I'd have called you in, but I couldn't be sure if you'd finished your tests and I didn't want you to have to re-try the experiment because my radio alerted security. Irvine's disappeared." 

Zell, who was in the process of pulling the catsuit off his ankles, lost his balance and tumbled to the floor - waking Selphie. 

"Mmmmph?" she asked. Zell ungracefully leaped over the bed so as to continue changing out of Selphie's sight. 

"Good timing, Selphie," said Bella cheerfully. "We have to find out what happened to Irvine." 

"Something's wrong with Irvy?" said Selphie, instantly wide awake. "What're we waiting for then?" 

Bella nodded in Zell's general direction, just as he got his shorts on. Standing up, he said, "You two quit lookin, man," as he blushed under his tan. "Bella, you got work to do, and Sef - good _grief_, Sef, Irvine'd have my tattoo on his mantlepiece. Now, what's goin' on, and do I have time to eat first?" 

"What's going on is that Irvine's transmitter died about an hour ago, and he hasn't checked in all night," said Bella. "So, no - you really don't have time to eat first. We need to find out where he was taken to; all I know is the last place the transmitter worked. I'm hoping it's just muffled, and not dead, and when we're closer we can pick up the signal." 

"Let's go," said Zell, now fully dressed. 

* * * * * * * *

The world they sat in was not eternity. In the true infinity of the universe there exist many places outside the rules that physics or magic decree, and each Guardian Force lived in its own. Three voices, three minds, three dimensions of residence. One within time and space, one outside of time, and one outside of space. This was Griever's realm outside of space; the swirling purple-silver column that was the Griever ring itself. The only time another would see this realm would be when Griever pulled them here - for within this place its power was strongest. Here, when they were one, they were Griever. And when they chose, they were also just Rinoa and Squall, as they had been before they Joined. 

Squall sat dejectedly against an ill-defined couch, gray eyes staring at nothing. Rinoa touched her fingers lightly to the back of his neck, listening to the turmoil within but not interfering. They came here when the conflicts between them needed resolution, for here they could not be separated even when their minds were entirely individual. Since Irvine's impromptu appearance, Squall had grown increasingly agitated within Griever, until a retreat here had been required or Rinoa would have been dragged in and the Guardian Force's power would have been compromised. If Zell needed them they would hear his call...but no other intrusion would be heard. 

"Will you tell me what is wrong, Squall?" Rinoa asked quietly. "We may be needed soon, if Irvine is in as much trouble as he thought he was. We must be resolved." Unspoken was her worry that whatever it was, Squall had been able to keep it hidden from her. It wasn't supposed to be possible, not with their minds as meshed together as they had become. 

Squall stood up and moved away from her, scowling as he paced. "I hear your thoughts too, Rinoa," he said. "And the reason I can hide this from you is _you don't want to face it either_." His right hand clenched over LionHeart's hilt. "What I wouldn't give right now to be free of the junction..." he shook his head as though trying to force his thoughts down a different track. 

"Face what, Squall?" Rinoa asked, holding herself still. She, too, was growing afraid, but it was undefined fear. The fear of a child for a suspected monster in the closet, strong yet nebulous. "What is it that you see that you don't think I want to see?" 

Squall stretched out an arm, palm forward, and between them an image appeared. Irvine's memory of the girl who had attacked him. "This is what sent Irvine here; a near-death experience I suspect, that reawakened an old gift. Look at her, Rinoa." 

Rinoa knew that tone in his voice; if she didn't see what he was driving at, he would not be persuaded to explain it to her. They would be disjointed, their power crippled, until she understood. 

She was a pretty girl, all told. Fine brown hair spilled down her shoulders to about the middle of her back. Her features were fine and soft, the shape of her eyes almost oriental but not quite. The color of those eyes could not be determined, for in Irvine's memory they glowed like Diablos' yellow orbs. She was richly dressed; someone had taken good care of her, but the expression on her face was one of cheerful maliciousness. 

She was just about to tell Squall that she didn't understand, but when she looked back at him after staring at the image she started. 

This girl had Squall's face. But how could that be? Laguna had neither remarried nor taken any lover, Raine was long dead, and Squall had always been faithful - her thoughts stumbled. Squall had never willingly taken any other to his bed but Rinoa - but the key word there was _willingly_. 

_Oh, Great Hyne_. Rinoa backed away - from the image, from that terrible darkness in Squall's gray eyes - and tried not to retch. There was nothing in her stomach, her form a mere conjuration of thought, but the feeling of nausea was overwhelming. How..._sick._ "But...how?" she managed. "Quistis and Zell said they killed everyone there..." 

"Obviously, at least one got away," said Squall emotionlessly. "She is the stabilizing agent, Rinoa. She wasn't infused with Diablos' power. She was _born_ with it. She, and who knows how many others that this Detmer person has found." Self-loathing entered his voice as he spoke, a bitter self-hatred for being partly responsible, however unwillingly. 

"You didn't do this, Squall," said Rinoa forcefully to that emotion. "Don't ever hold yourself responsible for this." 

Squall lowered his arm and the image of the little girl vanished. "But I am," he whispered, turning away from her. "I didn't want to, they forced..." he stopped, took a deep breath. "She has to die," he said in a dead voice. "As her mother should have died...but I can't do it. I can't...kill her...I'd be worse than Laguna then, worse than Seifer ever was." 

"They don't have to know," said Rinoa. "We never told them all that Alicia had done to you - they won't make the connection unless we tell them. We can sit back and let them take care of things. I'm sure Irvine's already planning to." 

"And Zell?" demanded Squall. "If Zell calls on us, we have to obey. He hasn't done it yet but with this power loose he probably will soon. We lost Leviathan - he only has us to call on now. If he calls for Shockwave Pulsar..." 

"We don't have to kill with it," said Rinoa soothingly. "We could...injure her maybe, knock her out..." 

"Zell already knows how strong we are," said Squall bitterly. "You know as well as I do that if she does not die in the Shockwave it's because we _chose_ not to kill with it. By now, Zell knows that too. What do you suggest we tell him when he realizes we didn't kill? She's already almost killed Irvine. She's not an innocent bystander we can choose to save." 

"He's your _friend_, Squall," said Rinoa. "Surely he'll understand, if we explain." 

"There you go using that word again," said Squall savagely, clearly angry. "I know what you mean by it, but you don't understand what _they_ mean by it. By your standards, _I don't have friends._ You want me to repeat that? They're SeeD, Rinoa. SeeD kill their enemies no matter who those enemies are. Remember Quistis with the traitor in Garden?" 

"Even this girl, Squall? And her half-brothers and sisters if they survived? Is that what this is about - are you _ashamed_ that you can't bring yourself to kill her?" 

That dart struck home; Squall's anger evaporated, leaving only despair. He slumped onto a chair formed of nothingness, and put his face in his gloved hands. "I only wanted children if they were _your_ children," he said brokenly. "I tried to stop it, I did...I thought all the women died when SeeD stormed Alicia's base..." 

Rinoa gave up; Squall was an expert at walling himself up, hiding behind words, but he couldn't hide from her now - not completely. She listened to his words and heard the truth behind them; he was ashamed because in his own mind the crime wasn't rape but adultery - he couldn't accept, even now, that events had been beyond his control there in Alicia's complex. In his way, Squall was trying to apologize for being unfaithful, and for lacking the courage to 'atone' for his crime by destroying the results. 

Her guess was confirmed when he continued, "Irvine was angry at us for abandoning my father and sister..." Squall's voice took on a hint of laughter, the kind of laugh that he only ever made when skirting the edge of a deep, deep pit, "...but how much worse would it be if he knew the girl who attacked him is my _daughter_?" 

Rinoa put her arms around him then, let her love for him flow through fingertips into his soul. "Squall," she said slowly, carefully, "it's all right that you don't want to kill her. You don't have to apologize for that. Frankly, I'd feel worse if you just decided to cut her head off without thinking twice. It's human, to want to protect your children - even in a case like this. And don't go thinking you're worse than Laguna, either, for not being there when she was born. Laguna and Raine were together by choice, out of love. Neither choice _nor_ love tie you to your daughter - not yet, not unless you choose it. She isn't a gift you've given - she's a child stolen from your body." 

Rinoa shook her head; there just wasn't any good way to say any of this. If Squall had a knack, it was for landing himself in situations where the truth couldn't be said but only felt, in the places of the heart and mind beyond words. She stood up then, took his hands in hers. "Come back with me, Squall," she said. "Be open to me. I'll help any way I can, and we will be whole again." 

"Whole, perhaps," said Squall, "but maybe never sane." He tapped one finger against his forehead, over the scar Hyperion had left. "It doesn't go away, the break - doesn't heal as long as we're here and not in the world of time. So long as it's there, Griever is half-mad." 

Rinoa smiled. "You're forgetting already that you barely feel it when we're joined," she said. 

"That was before." Squall's pupils contracted, tiny black pinpoints in seas of gray, as though he were looking into the sun - or standing in a brightly lit room. "Now...it pulls at me...what if it takes you too?" There was worry in his voice, a fragility in the tone. 

Rinoa frowned, understanding his point. Before he had seen the girl who must be one of his daughters, the break in his mind had been something he could cope with on his own - barely. Joined with Rinoa, their combined will was enough to render it almost insignificant. But _this_ - this having those times be more than a memory to deal with at leisure - it widened the break, making it almost impossible for Squall to fight it alone. If she let it claim him, Griever _would_ be half-mad; more than that, she would be left to fight the madness alone. If she returned with him now, though, there was no guarantee that it wouldn't happen anyway - the break claiming both of their minds. 

"We will stay here," she said at last. "You can draw on the power here to help you. And I will do everything I can. We will fight it back again; outside of time it can't stay this bad - it must eventually go back to where it was before." _At least, I hope so..._

Squall conjured the image of the girl again, looking at it almost blankly. His voice was heavy as he said, "Irvine made us promise, no more orphans of our friends. It looks like in order to save their children, I'm going to have to kill my own." 


	14. Gain

[13]Evidence

Irvine woke feeling like his bones had been ground to powder. He still felt heavier than he knew he should - the aftereffects of that girl's 'message', no doubt.

"Ah, I see you're back with us," said a young man with a smile. "I wouldn't recommend moving - the alloy those chains are made of doesn't break easily even if you have magic to call on."

Irvine took a few deep breaths; this guy was seriously overestimating Irvine's capabilities at this point, but he wasn't about to let him know that. "So you want me alive," he said instead. "Mind if I ask what for?"

"You're cute," the man said with a quirked eyebrow. "Not as cute as some I've seen in chains, but there is a roughness to you that's quite attractive. Has anyone ever told you that?"

"Lots of people," said Irvine. "But most of 'em had _much_ better chests than you do."

The man's grin widened, his lips pressed together as if holding back a laugh. "Witty, too, I see. I'm almost sorry I've already promised you - but you're worth ever so much more than a bedroom playmate, and I, regrettably, need the cash."

Irvine sighed. Rich people and their games. Just once, meeting one that didn't like to snicker would be nice. "I guess that makes you Soares Detmer," he said. "I'd ask what you got for arranging Laguna's murder, but after I met your little girl I think I can guess."

"Oh, she's not mine," said Detmer. "She's the daughter of one of my special friends, I adopted her when her mother died. I have several children like her around - legally my own now. It's one of the reasons I'm short of cash; even a wealthy family can only support so many."

Irvine didn't say anything - he was too busy keeping his lips pressed together against the desire to throw up. This guy had a _houseful_ of kids? Maybe powered-up just like the Diablos girl? He changed his mind right then - if he had any chance of getting away with it, Detmer was not going to see trial. Those kids would be better off with just about anyone than this creep. Using kids as experimental animals was just _beyond_ disgusting.

"And I'm sure you do it out of the loving kindness of your heart," he spat. "Do you make them cry when you feel them up?"

To his surprise, Detmer backhanded him - hard - across the cheek, clearly angry. "Only a depraved mercenary would think such a thing," he growled. "I've changed my mind about you. Pretty you are, but I wouldn't want you around my kids."

But Irvine wouldn't stop. "So you just shoot 'em up full of chemicals? You think that makes you a good parent?"

Detmer's eyes narrowed in rage as he stared at his captive, fist clenched. "I did nothing to any one of those children, _SeeD_. I did not make them the way they are. But they've helped _me_ unlock the secret of unfathomable power. They've endured no more pain than was required to take a single blood sample from each one. Which is a great deal more than I can say for _you_." He swung his fist then, punching Irvine hard on the jaw - knocking him flat.

Irvine chose to stay down, and feign unconsciousness. Something wasn't right here, and he needed to work out what. And fast.

Nothing had been done to the children - Irvine had to believe that. Galbadian nobles lied almost more easily than they breathed, but there had been honest outrage in Detmer's voice at the accusation of experimentation and abuse. So that little girl had _always_ had her power.

They'd shut down Alicia's complex and Odine's lab ten years ago; no powered-up people had shown up since. So he'd misjudged Diablos-girl's age; she couldn't be older than ten or so. That fit in with what Detmer had said about her mother dying; there'd been lots of infused people right about that time, but all of them had died from the substance in their veins.

She was the 'stabilizing agent' that Squall was afraid of - she was ten years old and abundantly healthy, and had Diablos' gravitational attack to boot. Detmer had found out how to stabilize the GF infusion from her and the other children.

Something else was nagging at the edge of his thoughts - more puzzle pieces he needed to put together - but at that point he heard people entering the room. Big people.

"All right - you two pick him up and hold him tight. I don't want his friends finding my house, the bastards'll try to take the kids. Get him to the pickup point and do whatever you have to to keep him quiet."

"Boss - they're SeeDs. SeeDs use magic. Can't we get _one_ of the kids to come along, just in case?"

Silence for a moment. _Send one of the kids,_ Irvine willed him. The others didn't know the danger yet, and getting even one away from this guy would be something. Once away from the house, Irvine could summon Tonberry on his captor and leg it with the kid back to the others.

"All right," said Detmer grudgingly. "But if this mercenary so much as twitches, you shoot him. I don't want him hurting Noddy." Someone left the room; presumably Detmer, to get the child.

_Noddy?_ thought Irvine. _What sorta name is that to give a kid?_

'Noddy' turned out to be a boy, by the sound of it. His voice was very clear, and high-pitched in the way only little boys' voices are. It was striking familiar chords in the back of Irvine's head, very distracting. "What d'yoo need me to do, daddy?" he asked, sounding happy and curious.

"Nodwydd, this man here is a bad man," said Detmer. "He came here to try to take you and the others away from me. We're going to put him in a safe place, but some of his friends might try to stop us. They have magic, Noddy. My servants, they can't fight magic. But you can. If anybody tries to stop us getting this man where he needs to go, you use your power on them, okay?"

"Okay, daddy," said the boy, sounding quite confident in himself. "He won't hurt me."

_Nodwydd,_ thought Irvine. _Shit, and I thought 'Noddy' was bad. Detmer, you should never use a dictionary to name a kid. Or toss up letters and make a name out of what lands face-up, either._ Whatever it was in his head that was trying to get his attention was really jumping up and down now.

Irvine felt himself being picked up, and made sure to stay completely limp. As long as they thought him unconscious, he was safe from whatever power the kid had, and he might learn something useful while he was at it. Once they were out of the house, he listened to try and place where his captors were in relation to himself. One was carrying him, of course, and the shoulder in his gut was incredibly uncomfortable. One was...in front, leading the way. And the soft patter behind could only be Noddy.

Good. So no one would see if he took a peek at the kid. Cautiously, he opened one eye just enough to get a hazy picture through the lashes. Yep, just the kid. Straight black hair in a ponytail, not very tall for his age. He was looking all around, not at Irvine at all. The thing in the back of his mind was really screaming now, jumping and waving and everything.

They stopped under a street lamp, and Irvine closed his eyes again. No telling what they'd do if they knew he was awake, and he didn't want the kid to be caught in the crossfire any more than Detmer did. He wasn't thrilled about the Diablos-girl zapping him, but it was plain that all the kids doted on Detmer. He'd have taken on all of Galbadia for his own adopted parents, so he could sympathize.

It kinda sucked that their precious 'daddy' was responsible for the murder of Laguna, and the attempted murder of Zell. Hell of a thing to have to tell a kid.

Footsteps were approaching. "Ah, your master works as swiftly and skillfully as ever," said the newcomer. "Yes, the master of the house will be very pleased with this catch."

"He said to tell you there should be more soon," rumbled the man holding Irvine. "Could be as soon as tomorrow."

_Oh shit, they know about us - they're counting on a rescue attempt!_

"We will have the funds whenever your master is ready to deliver," said the other. "Here is your payment. My companion will take the captive."

_They aren't counting on me rescuing myself, though._

Irvine felt himself change hands, held back a grunt as he was hauled unceremoniously over another shoulder. He heard the soft patter of Noddy's feet moving away, and could only assume that the two Detmer goons were with him.

"Master Felian will be _very_ pleased with this report," said the one who'd spoken before to the one that now held him. "He's waited many years to get his hands on the thugs who murdered his daughter."

_That's all I needed to know, you creep,_ thought Irvine. "Chef's Knife," he whispered. _Come on, Tonberry...take out the chatty one!_

He heard more than saw the Tonberry King's cleaver slicing through the servant of Felian. The minute the GF showed, Irvine forced his captor to overbalance and punched him repeatedly until he didn't get up again.

_Damn bastards took Exeter!_

Now, where had he heard the footsteps going to? Quickly, he headed in that direction, grateful that the chains had been removed when he'd changed hands. Must be valuable, not to want to lose them.

Just as the three people from Detmer's were coming into view, Irvine saw a complication. Selphie, Bella, and Zell were around - probably looking for him! He looked at Detmer's party - oh, great, Just _great_. No shot at surprise now - everyone was aware of everyone else. But one thing those three just _had_ to know, and Irvine wasn't going to lose his only chance to warn them.

"Watch out for the kid!" he yelled, and charged - hoping to distract the goons into attacking him, hoping it would let the others know the danger.

And danger there was. Noddy immediately turned to face Irvine, a ferocious scowl on his face as he concentrated. Irvine was so shocked he almost forgot to duck - the kid had looked quite a bit like Squall when he did that. He only just got out of the way of a whole swarm of flying needles.

Cactaur. This kid had Cactaur's attack. Shit - that could've made mincemeat out of him. Right now he was wishing he didn't have such a good memory; he kept thinking of Squall at around that age and it was playing merry hell with his fighting instincts. Plus whatever it was in his head that was trying to get his attention was _really_ screaming now.

At least there seemed to be a recharge period between attacks; when the goons saw that the boy had missed, they picked him up and started to run.

"Oh no you don't you meanies!" yelled Selphie, and cast Sleep on them. The men toppled, but the boy was unaffected. Fear clearly written on his face, he struggled to get out from under the sleeping body of the man who had been carrying him. Irvine ran to join the others.

"Don't hurt him!" he yelled. "Just a kid, all right? Don't scare him!" There was no _way_ he was going to let his friends prove that bastard Detmer right, even if the kid had nearly killed him. The kid wasn't bad - just confused.

Now, that Diablos girl - _she_ could probably use a good whack or two.

"He nearly killed you, Irvy!" said Selphie as she grabbed the boy by one arm. "_Nobody_ hurts my Irvy."

"Yeah, well he missed," panted Irvine as he finally reached them. "So you can quit with the protective act, okay? Trust me."

Noddy struggled against Selphie's grip. "Let me go!" he yelled. "You're gonna hurt Daddy! You're gonna take us away! You're _mean_!"  
  
Selphie's eyes went wide at the little speech, as did Bella's. Zell just looked confused. "Irv - just so I know - what's going on?"

"Soares Detmer found children who were born to people infused by Alicia with GF power," said Irvine, still catching his breath. "Their mothers all died of course, from the instability. He adopted the kids, and from what I can tell he's been pretty good to 'em. But -" and here he grimaced, "he found out how to stabilize the power from their blood samples. He can make superpowered people now that won't die."

"Oh, shit," said Zell, and promptly got elbowed by Bella.

"Not in front of a kid, Zell," she said sternly. "Irvine - how many children are there?"

"I dunno," he said. "At least two. This little fellow's name is Nodwydd, or Noddy for short. Ask _him_."

The boy looked up in terror at the sound of his name, and tried again to break out of Selphie's iron grip. "I'm not tellin' you nothin'!" yelled the boy. "Let me go! You're only gonna hurt 'em and I won't let you!"

Zell looked distant for a minute, then tapped Irvine on the shoulder. When Irvine turned to meet his gaze, he saw the amber-gold cat eyes of Griever. "Let me try," he said, his voice sounding a little strange.

Irvine shrugged. Couldn't hurt - the Diablos girl had had yellow-gold eyes, so maybe Noddy would think Zell was someone like him. He nodded and backed up a step.

Zell crouched down in front of Noddy, so their eyes were level. "I promise I won't hurt 'em," he said, still with that slight echo that must be a side-effect of using Griever this way. "But if we aren't supposed to hurt them, we need to know who they are. Will you tell me who they are?"

Noddy reached out with his free hand to touch Zell's blackflame tattoo. "You, you're like us," he said wonderingly, completely fearless. "Daddy said there wasn't _anybody_ like us."

Zell's face twitched slightly at the word 'daddy', and Irvine wondered why. Then whatever it was that had been clamoring for his attention finally got it. His face paled, his jaw dropped, and he landed rather unceremoniously on his ass in the street.

"Six," said Noddy. "There's six of us. Who are you? Why are you like us?"

"He's...a friend of your daddy's," said Irvine as he got up and brushed himself off, in a tone that said he only half-believed it himself. "Not Detmer, Noddy. Your real daddy. Who I am gonna have a very _long_ talk with, very soon. I think maybe you should stay with us tonight."

Selphie and Bella gave Irvine a puzzled look, but Zell still had Griever's eyes and right now they were telling Irvine to _shut up right this minute or else_. And he wasn't about to find out what the 'or else' was.

Noddy looked up at Zell, his face scrunched up in thought. "But won't daddy mind?" he asked. "I'm supposed to be home soon."

"I don't think he'll mind," said Zell. "Come on - I have three boxes of pizza getting cold." Gently he pulled Noddy out of Selphie's grip, giving a significant nod over the boy's head at his sleeping companions. She nodded back. Once Zell and the others had moved out of sight, she pulled out her SeeD combat knife and quickly cut their throats.

* * * * * * * * *

Back at the hotel, Noddy dove happily into the cold pizza while the others went into an adjoining sitting room and closed the door.

"All right, you two," said Selphie, in Garden Master mode, "That was just a little too weird for words. Zell - you first. What was going on back there?"

Zell shrugged, plainly drained from having to hold the Guardian Force's power that way for so long. "The kid didn't want to help, and he was scared. Griever suggested that if it borrowed my eyes, the boy might think I was like him. It worked. Why're you buggin' me about it?"

"Cause Griever knows a lot more about that kid than it told you, Zell," said Irvine. Earlier tonight I got hit with Diablos' power - used by a little girl about Noddy's age. Guess where I ended up?"

Selphie paled. "Irvy...you didn't..._die_, did you?"

"No," said Irvine, shaking his head. "I used to be able to do it more often, when I was a kid - didn't know that was what I was doing, o'course. But yeah, I ended up in eternity. Had a chat with Squall there, too, at least for a bit. He sounded a little scared, if you can believe that, of Detmer finding the stabilizing agent. He didn't say much - not much I could use." Irvine scowled. "When I woke up though...I got handed all sorts of clues. I was concentrating on other things, though, so I only just put them together. Like - Detmer knew these kids' mothers, who were all with Alicia. Like, he'd seen somebody cuter than me in chains."

Selphie chuckled, but died down when Irvine glared at her.

"Knock it off, Sef. I'm not talking from pride. I'm talking from a) Squall was known a _long_ way off as the pretty boy, and b) he was in chains at Alicia's complex at about the right time. And c) Noddy there acts a little like he did at that age, and the Diablos girl looked a lot like him too. I'm telling you - these are Squall's kids."

Bella nodded slowly. "The pieces seem to fit," she said. "Zell - will Griever admit the possibility?"

Zell looked distant for a moment, then winced as if someone had yelled at him. "He says, and I quote, 'Yes, and leave it at that.'"

Selphie grinned. "Rinoa's been good for him," she said. "I didn't hear a 'go talk to a wall'."

Zell frowned. "Griever's...somethin's wrong with Griever," he said in a puzzled voice. "I'm hearing it, in my head, and it's wrong. The voice is wrong." He shook his head, trying to clear it. "Yeah, yeah, fine," he said, causing the others to share worried glances.

Irvine put a hand on Zell's shoulder. "What does it want?" he asked.

Zell, still plainly tired from a long day and night - the sun was just rising - said, "Griever wants to take Noddy into eternity."

Both women started upright. "No!" said Bella. "Wouldn't that kill him?"

Zell shook his head, not in negation but as if he were shaking something loose. "It doesn't think so. It thinks it can take the kids to its own world - that purple silver place we saw when we fought Ultimecia. Just for a while - they wouldn't ever grow up if they stayed there."

"We need him here for the time being," said Irvine. "We've gotta get back to Detmer, free up the other kids, and smash up this guy's lab and notes before we blow him away. Besides, Detmer still has my gun and I want it back." When Zell looked inclined to protest, he continued, "You don't have to be the guy in the middle for this, Zell. Now I know what I'm doing, I can probably make the request in person. You go keep an eye on Noddy, you three. I'm going to...take a little nap."

When Zell still looked unhappy, he finished, "It's an order, Zell. You three watch Noddy - in shifts if you have to. I'm going to make sure I know what's going on before we make another move."

He waited until all three had left, then stretched out on the couch. Thank Hyne for a photographic memory; he knew just what sort of frame of mind to get into for this little jaunt.

* * * * * * * *

Irvine wandered the streets of Deling this time, seeing only the buildings and the parked cars. There was never any motion in eternity but that which was natural; a cloud passing overhead, trees moving in a breeze, waves on the sea. It made one feel very alone.

"Squall!" he yelled. "I know you know I'm here. Come out! Griever! Come out!"

"You won't find him that way," said a voice to his left. When he turned, it was the colorful boy who was part of Diablos. This time, he had a red-haired girl with him.

"Diablos," he said, carefully respectful this time. "Excuse me - I wasn't expecting you. I'm looking for Griever."

"Griever is not here," said the girl - the Sorceress. "Griever has retreated to its own world. It does not hear you here."

Irvine blinked. "Zell said Griever's voice sounded 'wrong'," he said carefully, making sure not to meet the Sorceress' eyes. There wasn't an ocean here, after all, and he didn't feel like being thrown into a building. "Would you...either of you...know what he meant?"

The boy nodded. "We know," he said. "Griever is stronger than all of us in power - but it is not so strong in the mind. We," and here the boy - the Knight - made a gesture meaning all the Guardian Forces, "have heard Griever's Knight screaming. Griever is divided."

No matter how Irvine turned that tidbit over in his mind, he couldn't find any way to interpret it as a good thing. "It came when Zell called it," he said - more or less to see what Diablos would say on the matter.

"Griever is junctioned," said Diablos' Knight. "It will always hear the voice of the one it is junctioned to."

Irvine considered that, and decided that yes, it made a sort of sense. Keeping his pose entirely respectful, just to be on the safe side, he said, "Thank you, Diablos. Is it all right if I ask why you're volunteering advice, instead of, say, Tonberry - to whom I am junctioned?"

"You do not have the advanced junction with Tonberry," said Diablos' Sorceress. "And it is not very fond of you. Whereas _we_ owe Griever - and you - a debt, for freeing us from the lamp." Something in the way she said 'lamp' almost made it a swear word.

"I don't suppose...you could get Griever's attention for me? Or take me to its world? We sorta need to get some answers from it." Though maybe they could wait. Anything that could make Squall scream was not something Irvine felt equipped to deal with.

Diablos' Knight cocked his head to one side. "Are you sure you would want to go there?" he asked. "In our own worlds, our power is absolute. Griever is going mad - you might never make it back out, even to eternity - never mind the real world."

Irvine thought about that for a moment, then shrugged. "I'm...their friend," he said at last, and admitted to himself that it was true. "I think I have a good idea of what's going on. I might be able to help."

Both the Sorceress and the Knight shrugged. "We will knock on their door," they said. "But we cannot make them answer it. As we told you - in our own worlds, our powers are absolute. Griever cannot be compelled when on its own ground."

"That's all I'd ask," said Irvine.

The Knight nodded. "I may have misjudged you, friend of Griever," he said. "Not many people have friends willing to risk so much. If you are lost in this world, call for me. My name is Jian."

"Irvine," said that one, with a touch of his fingers to the brim of his hat. He knew better than to ask for the Sorceress' name, this time.

Diablos raised its arms and sent a black sphere spinning off into the sky. When Irvine lowered his eyes from watching it, Diablos was gone.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then Irvine was pulled into purple-silver chaos.

* * * * * * * *

Zell enjoyed hanging out with Noddy, even as tired as he was. The boy was quick and cheerful, and now that he'd accepted Zell as being like himself, he was quite friendly.

"Why do you have that thing on your face?" he asked. "Is it part of your powers?"

"Nah," said Zell. "I got this...wow. I think I was around fifteen when I got it," he said. "Cause I'm not all that big, you know, and I wanted to look fierce." He struck a pose, making Noddy laugh. "Guess it didn't work, huh?" he grinned.

Nodwydd gave Zell the openly critical look that only kids seemed to be able to get away with, and then said, "It works if people don't know you." He frowned, reminding Zell of Squall. "You scared me pretty bad back there."

"Sorry," he said automatically. "We were looking for Irvine - he was supposed to come back home and he didn't."

"Irvine said you're a friend of my real daddy," said Noddy doubtfully. "How would he know who that is? Mommy died before I was born - everybody said so. They had to cut me out so I didn't die too."

_Ick,_ cringed Zell. _What a thing to tell a kid._ "Well," he said carefully, "We know someone who reminds us of you. And he had powers too, and we think he knew your mom. We don't know for sure-sure yet, but Irvine's off asking now."

"_Had_ powers?" said Noddy, with a child's knack for picking up more than an adult means to drop. "What happened to him? And how can Irvine be asking anything if he's asleep?"

Bella leveled a Look at Zell that clearly said he wasn't up to subterfuge on this little sleep.

"If we're right," yawned Zell, "then your daddy is probably the specialest special case that's ever existed, Noddy. I think we're right - and I also think he wants to meet you. But not just yet, yeah? How's about we get some shuteye?"

"Okay," said Noddy, and chose a bed at random. "Can I sleep here?"

"Sure," said Selphie, whose bed it was. Zell pulled the covers around him, and the others headed back into the sitting room where Irvine was stretched out on a couch.

"You like him, don't you?" asked Bella.

"Yeah," said Zell with a tired grin. "Sorta like a less-moody Squall at that age. Always wondered what he'd have been like if he'd learned to smile."

"Guys, we can't just hold him here," said Selphie seriously. "Detmer is the boy's legal guardian no matter _who_ his father is or turns out to be. We're on shaky ground here. We've got to get Detmer and the Felians before they can nab us for kidnaping."

"We can't send him back," said Zell. "He could get killed in the crossfire."

"I'm more interested in how quickly he changed sides," said Selphie. "He was all ready to punch you more full of needles than a pincushion until he thought you were like him. Then it was a complete flip-flop!"

"I understand," said Bella. "If there's more than one child, they'd all have to be around the same age - and they may not all be physically related. The only thing they'd all have in common would be their powers. They probably think of it like they would an exclusive club; something that makes them special. Only someone like they are, or someone with an advanced junction like Zell, could do that trick. It's a pretty good identifying mark."

"Exactly," said Selphie. "Only he said there were six of them, and we can't hold down six high-powered kids and make 'em stare at Zell while he does a Griever impression. We need Noddy to convince them that we're safe people so we can get them out of there."

"No way am I doing that eye trick again," said Zell as he flopped bonelessly into a chair. "Guys, something is _wrong_ with Griever. I don't know what, but it's big. The only thing I can say at all for sure is that it doesn't want the kids dead right now."

"You mean it might change its mind?" asked Bella, aghast. "But you said they're Squall's children!"

"Guys..." sighed Zell, "I don't think Squall is playing with a completely full deck right now. I haven't heard his voice at all today, not even within Griever. Everything I've told you has come from Rinoa's half of Griever, and she sounds like she's at the end of her rope."

"But...they're the same, aren't they?" asked Selphie anxiously. "Two making one - you said that's how it works."

Zell rested his head against the back of the chair, staring at the ceiling with eyes half closed. "Yeah, that's how it works," he said tiredly. "That's how it's been from day one, at least - them only shifting a little bit here or there to adjust how we see them sometimes but _always_ it was both of them somewhere. Something's wrong this time. Noddy's existence - and these other kids we haven't met yet - they've thrown Squall for a big, big loop and I don't think he can handle it. Rinoa's trying to hold Griever together on her own."


	15. Exchange

mergence

Irvine had to concentrate to see through the swirling purple-silver chaos all around him.

"Irvine!" came Rinoa's voice. "You must help! Follow my voice until you reach us..."

There followed wordless singing; quite beautiful if one wasn't trying to keep one's brains from bleeding out of one's ears. Irvine had already gone past regretting coming here, and was starting to regret ever having met up with the orphanage gang again by the time he found them.

Rinoa was practically pulsing with power, gray Sorceress wings unfurled and sparks leaping from them as her amber-gold Griever eyes glowed like twin suns. She looked every inch the supernatural being that she was, her hair flying back from her face as though in a gale. She stopped her singing as soon as she saw him, and closed her eyes in a pose of intense concentration.

Squall was just sitting there, oblivious to the chaos around him as he stared straight ahead. His eyes were not Griever's eyes, Irvine noted - only the gray, human orbs they ought to be. Irvine immediately came to quite a number of conclusions.

"He's doing this, isn't he," he shouted over the swirling chaos.

Rinoa nodded. "I can't hold the power of Griever alone," she said - her voice having no trouble carrying above the din with the power of a Guardian Force behind it. "It's not supposed to work like this - it's supposed to be shared between us. I'll try to calm things down, but I can't make promises."

She spread out her arms and lightning flashed from her fingertips into the silver-purple maelstrom. Again and again she sent out power, until the chaos died down. But as it did so, Squall leaped to his feet and paced like a lion in a zoo cage, fists clenched at his sides.

Rinoa shook her head. "I can't control everything alone," she said in the sudden silence. "If I stop the storm, he rages. If I hold him still, the chaos returns. I can't _do_ both, Irvine - not and keep his madness from affecting me too."

"What madness?" said Irvine, surprised. "He's just pacing - nothing major to worry about."

Rinoa's expression twisted momentarily into one of uncharacteristic rage, and she put her face in her hands for a moment. "It is _not_ just pacing, Irvine. He's trying to break the bond - he's trying to leave Griever. If I thought he knew what he was doing, I'd let him go. But he doesn't. I can hear his thoughts and he hasn't got the slightest clue what he's doing, to himself or to me."

"So you've taken his half of the power..." said Irvine. "How long can you do that?"

"Not long," said Rinoa. "I'm already almost at my limit. With his half of Griever's power he could destroy a good part of the world, Irvine. I'm sorry I have to drag you into this, but you are the only one I can grab."  
  
Irvine didn't like the sound of that. "Drag me into what?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm going to have to make you my Knight," said Rinoa seriously. "We've learned a lot about how all this works, both on our own and from the other Guardian Forces who are allied with us, such as Diablos. If you agree, I can make you my Knight and you can temporarily take Squall's place in Griever - spreading out the power and saving both of us. But it won't be easy on you."

Irvine's eyes went wide. "Hey now, I'm all for doing my best in a good cause, but I'm a spoken-for guy," he protested. "I can't be anyone's Knight, I've got Sefie to think of."

"Are you my friend, Irvine?" asked Rinoa seriously. She pointed to where Squall paced, oblivious. "Are you _his_ friend? He doesn't think you are, you know. He still gets things like love and friendship wrong if he thinks about them, and that's part of the problem."  
  
"_I'm_ not _his_ friend?" said Irvine, incredulous. "Me? _I_ didn't go around deserting everyone and leaving behind phony tales of my death, and refuse to say one decent word of explanation when I got caught out." He snapped his mouth shut and shook his head. "No, I promised I'd try to let that go and I will. But he's got a lot of nerve, I'll say that. I'm his friend, Rinoa - and I'm yours. Hyne knows why, but if I weren't your friend I wouldn't be here in the first place."

"Then take my hand and be my Knight," said Rinoa. "There's a lot I can't explain about this - but you'll understand if you do it. Believe me when I say I wouldn't be asking this if I had anything like a choice. I can't risk letting Griever go crazy, Irvine - and I don't think you can risk it either." She held out her hand, and waited for Irvine to accept or refuse.

He stared at it for a moment, then said, "All right - but _you_ get to be the one to explain this to Sefie, and I don't care if Zell has to transfer the junction for you to do it."

"Agreed," said Rinoa as he took her hand.

* * * * * * * *

The hotel room had been quiet, as Noddy and the SeeDs caught a few hours of rest after a very long day and night. All of them knew they couldn't wait too long before hunting Detmer out, but in some cases it had been twenty-four hours since their last sleep.

Selphie was sleeping in an overstuffed chair in the sitting room; partially because Noddy had her bed, and partly so that she could come awake if anything happened to Irvine. He'd told her once about the Dreams he'd had of his adopted parents, before coming to Garden, so she knew that he'd wake up normally if nothing went wrong.

But when he was little he had never wanted to speak to anyone but his folks - and they wouldn't hurt him. Going shouting after Guardian Forces had to be a lot riskier, even when the Guardian was your friend. Zell's warning comments worried her; she remembered all too keenly the dents Squall had made in the Ragnarok.

So Selphie was the first to know that something was really wrong, as a bright light filled the room. She blinked, bleary-eyed, and at first thought someone had just switched the light on. But as her eyes adjusted, she realized it wasn't coming from overhead - it was coming from Irvine's couch. She heard movement, and saw Zell standing groggily in the doorway, sleepy-eyed and rumpled.

When the light faded, it wasn't Irvine sleeping on the couch - it was Squall, looking exactly as he had on the day he entered Griever, exactly as Zell had seen him in eternity. His face wore an expression of pain, but it was definitely Squall sleeping there.

Selphie's first reaction was to stumble over and reach out - fully intent on waking him up and demanding to know what happened to Irvine. But Zell held out his hand. "Griever says you can't touch him. He mustn't -"

* * * * * *

"**wake up**," said Irvine and Rinoa together. "**Zell - tell her that if he wakes right now, people will get hurt. We are fine - you can hear that we are fine. We'll explain as soon as we can."**

The two minds struggled to find a balance; unlike the previous setup there was no love to smooth the way. All there was to work with was an abiding friendship - enough common ground to forge a bond, but only just.

It had happened in a split second that nevertheless seemed years long.

Rinoa had been right when she said he would understand after taking her hand. He felt her love for Squall, all-encompassing and fierce in its protectiveness. He shared her memories, and knew everything she had endured for Squall's sake - which had been a great deal more than he'd thought. He knew everything about Rinoa, her entire life, all her hopes and dreams and fears. He didn't love Rinoa, though. All that he saw deepened his friendship, but it did not inspire love. He knew, too, that she saw his whole life laid out before her, and had come to pretty much the same conclusion. She wasn't a lover, and never would be - but she was a sister. In the joining, Irvine finally adjusted his mental categories to include Rinoa as 'one of us'.

It wasn't anywhere near as powerful a bond as the one she shared with Squall - but it was strong enough to hold them together as Griever. At least for now. He wasn't sure how long he could handle constantly hearing her thoughts in the back of his mind. It was highly distracting - yet he knew from her that it was part of the price one paid to be a Guardian Force, and further that she had minimized the Joining as far as she could to spare him. It would only work while they were here, though. Better hope a summoning wasn't needed back in the waking world.

"He's still my Knight," said Rinoa as she watched Squall pace - much calmer now that she did not have to fight off his rage. "One of the things we learned was that Sorceresses can have more than one. This is one of the reasons why - now we can _both_ reach him."

"I'm not sure I like the idea of poking around in Squall's head," said Irvine reluctantly. "And I'm almost _positive_ that _he_ wouldn't like the idea any better."

Rinoa frowned at him. "Do you think I like this any more than you do? I'm doing what I have to do, Irvine. For his sake, and for Griever's sake, and even for his children's sake."

Irvine's eyes went wide. "Shit, he's in the real world now! We can't let him wake up like this, not with Noddy in the room. I forgot all about the poor kid!"

"Exactly," said Rinoa. "He doesn't know what to do - that's the source of all this in a nutshell. Too many things tie in to the children's existence for him to sort them out, and he wasn't exactly stable to start with."

Irvine frowned, but picked the clarification up from Rinoa's mind: an image of Squall kneeling before Alicia in Odine's lab, so lost in a mental nightmare that even a dagger thrown into his stomach didn't register.

"I'm going to set him free," said Rinoa. "In the real world, he'll be able to do something. I hope we can hold together long enough for him to do what he needs to and return."

"But how will you get through?" asked Irvine. "He's out of the loop - and he has to be _really_ out of it if he can be removed from you without noticing."

Rinoa chuckled, but there was little true mirth in it. "That was less of a problem than you might think," she said. "Irvine...these children are his, but they aren't mine. He's ashamed to even think of involving me - as though he would be punishing me somehow to even ask me. He had already done most of the job of separating us himself. I can't make him understand that I would love them simply because they are his - that they don't _have_ to be the children of my body, to be the children of my heart. He's still not sure if it's acceptable for him to love them as his own, without involving me."

"Of course it is," said Irvine automatically. "Why wouldn't he?"

Rinoa just shook her head. "Words...he's right, after all. There aren't words for the important things. Come on - if you believe so strongly, you'll be a big help." She smiled impishly, genuine laughter in her voice for the first time. "You're going to have to touch, Irvine. I hope you're not as finicky about it as he is."

"I never was," said Irvine equably. "It wasn't the 'touching Squall' that got me worried. It was the 'touching Squall and getting my teeth knocked in' that always decided things."

Rinoa walked in front of Squall's route, caught his hands in her own, and wished away his gloves. She looked into his eyes and he froze.

_Oh yes, much easier when he doesn't have Griever's power to draw on,_ came her thought in Irvine's mind. _Take his other hand; he can't hurt you now even if he wanted to_. Rinoa's mental voice sounded a little sad, regret perhaps for having to do things this way.

Irvine shot her a glance, just making sure that yes this was what they had to do, and gingerly took his friend's hand.

This was not the enveloping presence of Rinoa; Squall's psyche was chaos - the raging storm that had been all around when he first arrived. Now the storm wasn't just random chaos; it was a flurry of thoughts and images blending into each other over and over and over again.

..._I can't kill them_ (gunblade flashing down on the Diablos-girl's neck) _but I can't let them live_ (Noddy shooting needles at Irvine) _I can't let them die _(Selphie, Zell, and Bella fighting children with everything they had) _but I never wanted them to be born_ (leering faces blending into each other, humiliation, pain) _and now they're here I can't let them go_ (Noddy eating pizza with Zell) _but I can't take them away from the only parent they know_ (Noddy talking about 'daddy', Laguna standing in a doorway saying 'I meant to come back for you') _when I can't be there for them_ (Griever roaring, the empty lands of eternity) _and I can't live alone _(Rinoa) _but I can't ask her to help me with children that aren't hers_ (bright room, leering faces, and Alicia taunting in his mind)_..._

Each thought and image blended into another, repeating in an endless cycle. Irvine sent Rinoa a thought; _Okay, I think this is one instance where the phrase 'I had no idea' might actually have some merit. Rinoa, he is gonna hate my guts for the rest of his life for you showing me this._

_Irvine, you already know that I'd rather he hate you forever, than that he not be alive to hate you forever,_ came Rinoa's acerbic response. 

_There is that,_ agreed Irvine. _Can he hear us?_

_Only when we want him to. I wanted you to get an idea what's wrong first. You have Griever's power to back you now - any suggestions?_

Irvine considered. He knew that the only other person in their group who even halfway shared his views on family was Zell; Squall had been a loner far too long for him to easily fold himself into his family by the time he found it again. That seemed to be the problem, as Rinoa had said; Squall didn't understand family - didn't know where to place it in his list of priorities.

He knew where to place Rinoa though, didn't he? Right at the top of the list, right where she should be. Rinoa had become his family - he just needed to be persuaded to extend the definition a little.

_I'm not 'family' to him, Irvine, _came Rinoa's thought. _I know how he feels about me - he regards me as a part of himself. He can't do that with these children - not given the way they came into the world._

_Is there any way I can see how he sees things?_ asked Irvine, and grimaced. _I can not believe I just said that. But if you're bonded to him, and I'm bonded to you, there's got to be some leeway to work with here._

_Try and see,_ said Rinoa with the mental equivalent of a shrug. _It's not like I've got a lot of practice at having multiple Knights. I'm working on hearsay here._

_Wonderful,_ thought Irvine sarcastically. Well, there wasn't a lot of time. Squall wasn't listening to Rinoa - pretty strange in and of itself, but given the general overall weirdness of the situation possibly understandable. He wasn't sure he'd be able to look Selphie in the eye if it were him in Squall's shoes. But that meant that if things were going to be all right, it was up to him to make it that way.

_Time for some tough love, buddy,_ thought Irvine, and tried to force himself into Squall's mind. _Payback time for that sucker punch on the Ragnarok._

* * * * * * * *

Irvine was back in the chaos this time, images and thoughts floating around randomly. Frightening as it was, Irvine recognized that it was probably worse for Squall; the guy was almost pathologically organized.

..._I can't kill them_ (gunblade flashing down on the Diablos-girl's neck) _but I can't let them live_ (Noddy shooting needles at Irvine) _I can't let them die _(Selphie, Zell, and Bella fighting children with everything they had) _but I never wanted them to be born_ (leering faces blending into each other, humiliation, pain) _and now they're here I can't let them go_ (Noddy eating pizza with Zell) _but I can't take them away from the only parent they know_ (Noddy talking about 'daddy', Laguna standing in a doorway saying 'I meant to come back for you') _when I can't be there for them_ (Griever roaring, the empty lands of eternity) _and I can't live alone _(Rinoa) _but I can't ask her to help me with children that aren't hers_ (bright room, leering faces, and Alicia taunting in his mind)_..._

That was it. That was what he needed - to force Squall to organize himself again. He grabbed an image at random, willing it to be solid. It turned out to be the one that flashed by when he thought of taking the children away from Detmer. A double image of Noddy, and Laguna. Looking at the two faces, he could begin to see why - Noddy's looks were a lot like Laguna's. The rest of the reason was painfully clear; Squall didn't want to do as his father had done - abandoning his children - but within Griever he didn't really have a lot of choice. Nor could he leave them with Detmer, though the man had been a decent father to them - Detmer was involved in the assassination of Laguna. Laguna, who was their grandfather. Hoo boy.

"Squall, buddy, did you ever get the impression that someone Up There just hates your guts?" asked Irvine. He hadn't spoken very loudly, but it was enough that Squall was suddenly aware of his presence. The chaos swirled more angrily, more quickly, more loudly - and in the middle of it was an image of Squall himself, furious. One fist was clenched - the other was wrapped around the hilt of LionHeart, ready to draw it.

"Get out of my head," he growled. There was a pure fury in his eyes that far outweighed the offense; something had touched a nerve here.

"No can do, my friend," said Irvine. "You're pulling too many people down with you - this has got to stop. Now." For emphasis, Irvine took the image he held in his hand, and broke it over his knee. Squall winced. Then his eyes narrowed.

"How did you get here?" he demanded. "You shouldn't -" his eyes widened in shock as he stared at Irvine. "No...she's chosen..._you?_ Rinoa!" he stared upward, shouted. "Rinoa!" There was genuine hurt in his voice, a complete lack of understanding.

Rinoa appeared, standing beside Irvine. "I had to, Squall," she said sadly. "This," and she waved a hand at the chaos all around, "this was going on outside, in the Griever-realm. The Guardian Forces heard your screams. I couldn't hold it back out there, not alone."

Squall shook his head slowly, trying to reject her words. In his own mind he lacked the shields he normally hid behind, and his misery was evident. "I'm sorry, Rinoa. I don't know what to do. I don't even know what I _can_ do. No matter what I think of, someone gets hurt."

"Sometimes somebody just has to get hurt," said Irvine firmly. "When did you get off thinking we lived in a perfect world, Squall?"

"I got cured of that notion the minute you set foot in my head," spat Squall with sudden venom. "Why she chose _you_.." he snapped his lips closed, biting back what he evidently wanted to say.

"She didn't fucking 'choose' me, Squall," snapped Irvine. "You can still feel your bond to her if you'd get off your damn high horse for thirty seconds straight. She hauled me in because I was there, that's all. I'm not in love with her, and I _don't_ plan on staying here any longer than it takes for you to get your act together. She pulled me in because it was pull me in or send the world to hell. In her place you'd have done the same, so just fuckin' shut up about it already. We're not here to discuss _me_ - or Rinoa either."

Squall's grip on LionHeart's hilt tightened, but he knew as well as any that it was useless to fight a Guardian Force in that Guardian's home ground. "I suppose you're going to tell me you have some sort of brilliant solves-everything solution then," he growled. 

"As a matter of fact, I don't," said Irvine, calm again. "If the world had neat little gift-wrapped solutions to every problem life would be dull as hell - not to mention negating any use for SeeD. But I'll tell you this - you've got time. I can hold things together here with Rinoa for a while at least. While I'm here, you're in the real world with Sefie and the others. You can meet your kids, Squall, and see if they like you. I'm breaking every regulation in the rulebook abandoning my little command like this, and Sefie's gonna be walking on eggshells until I get back, but you've got time. A few days or so at least. You go and you lead 'em, Squall. You won't be a bit player for this - not when it's your kids on the line. Kill them, save them, wrap them in chocolate - it's your call. Just don't take too long about it, all right?"

Squall relaxed a little, staring at Irvine very intently - almost as though he'd never seen him before. Then he looked at Rinoa.

"I tried to tell you," she said with a laugh, "but you wouldn't listen to me. If you'll listen to Irvine I'll settle for that. Squall - whatever you decide, I'll still be here for you. Don't base your decisions on what I think - you'll always end up second-guessing yourself if you do that." As Squall moved to protest, she raised a hand, nose crinkling as she smiled. "I already know your thoughts, love," she said gently. "Trust me - I've been dealing with nothing else but for a while now. I'll understand if you decide they have to die - and I'll understand if you can find a way to save them, too. I trust you. Now get out of here - I don't want to have mister fly-by-night's thoughts in my head any longer than I have to, all right? Get Zell to transfer the junction. That way if you need us, we'll be there."

Squall practically radiated relief as he nodded. He wasn't rejected, and he wasn't going to be forced to stand by and watch as the fate of his children was decided. He had what he had most wanted - and hadn't believed he could get - when he saw the image of his daughter in Irvine's mind; time. Thinking of that, he looked back at Irvine. He walked over to the cowboy, and slowly extended his hand, palm up. Gloved again, now that he was in control of his thoughts.

Irvine looked at the hand, then back at Squall's face. The utmost gesture of respect from Squall - an offer to shake hands. He was admitting that Irvine was his friend.

Irvine took the offered hand and gave it a squeeze - he didn't think Squall would be up to the typical bone-jarring Galbadian handshake as a first timer. "Get going," he said. "And make sure you calm Sefie down."

"I will," said Squall quietly. "And...thank you." He closed his eyes, and vanished.

Rinoa and Irvine opened theirs, to find themselves alone in the Griever world. Squall had woken himself up.

* * * * * * * *

Squall opened his eyes to find himself in a hotel room, lying on a couch. Selphie and Zell - both looking incredibly tired and bleary-eyed - were nearby, apparently watching over him. It was strange to see them like this - for they were both in their late twenties now, and he was still physically eighteen.

Zell didn't waste time; tired as he was, he grinned. "Good to see ya again," he said. "Even if you are going to make me feel really old for the next few days. Wanna switch junctions with me?"

Squall nodded; trust Zell to know the first thing on his mind. Both men pulled off their right gloves and clasped hands.

"Junction Transfer: Griever," said Zell.

"Junction Transfer: Tonberry," said Squall.

Much better; he didn't feel quite so alone now, with Rinoa in his thoughts. Irvine being there too was just something to put up with; friend or no, it was hard to adjust to having a guy in his head. He wondered how Zell had been able to stand it.

It seemed to be the time to make up for debts unpaid. Squall released Zell's hand and briefly clasped his shoulder, surprising his friend into a shocked look. "Thank you," he said. It wouldn't pay the debt - ha, not by a long shot. But if Irvine was his friend, Zell could be no less.

Zell had, after all, been trying longer. Rinoa had given him eyes to see.

"Irvy's all right, isn't he?" asked Selphie. "He's coming back, right? Tell me he's coming back."

"Yes," said Squall. "This isn't permanent. It's just..." he shrugged, and indicated the doorway. "He wanted to give me time. He and Rinoa both. If you don't mind."

Selphie's green eyes did creditable imitations of saucers. "Yeah," she said. "Yeah, that's fine. Um - how _much_ time?"

Squall frowned - it couldn't be enough, but it had to be. There was no love to make the bond easier for them - and he knew that that bond of love gave him greater power with Griever than Zell had had, too. "A few days, at most," he said. "Enough time to see this to its end - however it ends."

"A few days," said Selphie thoughtfully, then nodded. "Okay. I won't pester. He's right, anyway." Tired as she was, she grinned. "I bet with all our chatting we woke him up anyway. Noddy's through there, Squall - Bella too, but she's probably still sleeping. If he's up, don't let him wake her."

Squall nodded, and thought, _Rinoa - I will need your eyes._ Griever's eyes - the cat eyes that could see in the dark, so that he could find his son without waking Zell's girlfriend. Immediately his view of the room sharpened and grew more detailed. He turned to the doorway, trying to quell his nervousness as he went to see his son.


	16. Rescue

[16]Rescue

Noddy was awake; not surprising, when Squall thought about it. He knew first-hand the sort of powers that came from the artificial GFs. The room was dark, but with Griever's sight it appeared to be twilight to Squall - and he could see the boy's eyes were also changed. Solid black field; Cactaur's eyes. He was watching Squall, intently but without fear.

Squall pointed over at the sleeping Bella, then raised a gloved finger to his lips. The boy nodded; _don't wake her up_. Still feeling a little strange about the prospect, Squall held out his hand and the boy took it. He led them into the sitting room, where Zell and Selphie were waiting.

"Bella's still sleeping," said Squall. "Why don't you two join her? I'll be fine here."

Zell rolled his eyes. "You just like to ruin my fun, dont'cha," he yawned. "I was _really_ hopin' I could get to see this." He stretched. "But you're right, as usual. I'm bushed. See ya inna morning...or whenever..."

Selphie just came up close and whispered, "You will owe me _details_," with a wicked smile as she followed Zell out of the room.

Noddy looked around. "Where's Irvine?" he asked.

Squall shrugged; hard enough to explain that one to an _adult_, never mind a ten year old kid. "He's...taking my place, somewhere I'd otherwise have to be."

Noddy stared at him, a little suspicious. "I saw your eyes, back there," he said as though presenting proof of something. "Like Zell's." His face scrunched up in thought, and Squall heard Irvine's chuckle in the back of his mind. "Irvine said he was going to talk to my 'real daddy', and now he's gone and you're here. You look a lot like Daear, you know that?"

"Daear?" asked Squall. He had no idea what he was supposed to say, but at least Noddy seemed to be making it easy on him by not asking much.

Nodwydd frowned. "Daear can push people into the ground," he said seriously. "She likes doing that - she thinks it's funny when they yell."

Daear must be the Diablos girl, then. Squall frowned; it had probably been too much to hope that _all_ the children would be free of the taint of their mothers. He had no trouble thinking of a reply to Noddy's leading comment. "I don't think it's funny," he said. "Are any of the others like that?"

The boy smiled, reminding Squall very forcibly of Laguna for a moment. "Not really," he said. "Daddy gets mad if we do things like that. Daear just likes to be different."

"Do me a favor," said Squall in a slightly strangled voice. "Don't call him 'daddy', all right? I'm glad he's taken care of you, but he's done some things..." he shook his head. "Things you probably don't want to know about."

Was all conversation like this, or just conversation with children? Squall felt like he was walking through a minefield with every word.

Somewhat to his surprise, the boy reached out and patted his hand seriously. "I know," he said. "Sometimes he asks me to go with his friends, late at night when the others are asleep. He asks me 'cause I can keep a secret."

Squall's eyes widened. "Tell me he hasn't made you kill," he said. _Not another generation of SeeDs, Hyne please not another generation of child soldiers..._

"A couple of times," admitted Noddy with a frown. "He said they were gonna take us away from him. Why does everybody want to take us away from him? Even Zell wanted me to stay here."

_This man is dead,_ thought Squall. _He has made my son a killer._

**At least he chose a good bloodline,** came Griever's voice. **Squall, Garden made _you_ a killer at about his age, and you've done all right. Don't give up on them yet - even Daear.**

"Noddy...you shouldn't ever have to kill. People are trying to take you away from him because he's doing some very bad things and they don't want you to be hurt."

Squall stood up, checked the window. Outside it was well into morning - they'd know Noddy was taken by now. What that might mean for the other five...damn. He hated it, but he was going to have to use his son.

"Noddy...I'd like to get you and the others out of there. Do you trust me?"

Noddy shrugged. "I guess so. You're like us, aren't you? Like Zell - a friend of our real daddy?"

Squall felt like someone was choking him; wanting to speak and at the same time having trouble breathing. But he would not lie. Not now, not ever. If he had any hope of winning affection from the boy - unfamiliar territory to start with - then he had to be truthful. He felt Rinoa's support, and was tempted to ask her what on earth he should say. This was her home ground, not his; she always knew how to deal with people.

**You don't need our help,** said Griever. **You already know what you're supposed to do.**

Yes, but it didn't make it easier. He was becoming rapidly aware that Laguna had been far more courageous than he seemed, and further that he owed his father a deep and heartfelt apology. In the back of his mind, Squall could hear Irvine roaring with laughter, Rinoa's quiet chuckles blending in. _You're finally learning, Squall,_ she said, and he blushed.

"Noddy, I'm the one Zell was talking about," said Squall. "That's why Daear looks like me." A thought struck him. "And _you_ look like _my_ father. Look - you see?" He reached into his wallet and pulled out a picture of Laguna and Ellone, that Ellone had given him shortly after Ultimecia had been defeated. He'd kept it because it had her in it - this was the first time he'd ever had reason to point out Laguna.

Noddy took the picture and stared at it for a while. "He's got hair like me, and he's got green eyes too," he said slowly. Then he reached up and tugged on Squall's bangs. Squall froze; he didn't want to frighten the boy, but he still didn't handle touching very well. He fought the desire to flinch as Nodwydd stared at his face for a moment, played with his hair. It took all his willpower not to jerk away as, all innocence, his son traced the scar from his right brow to his left cheek. The child couldn't help how he'd come to be, and while Squall couldn't help how he felt he _could_ keep his son from ever finding out. He'd spent his life learning to hide his emotions from casual observation - now, at last, there was a good use for that skill.

"You don't _look_ old enough to be my daddy," said the boy at last. "Is that part of your power?"

Relief flooded through him; question and answer. "Yes," he said. "When I am where I'm supposed to be, anyway. I'm hoping you and the others would want to come with me."

**Squall...** warned Griever, **you can't take them into eternity. They'd end up even more antisocial than you are.**

_Not eternity,_ said Squall. _But Griever's realm. They can grow up there if we allow Time to pass for them. And we can bring them into the real world and back; that's one of the Guardian Force's powers - we just won't be using it to attack them._

**If they agree, then yes,** said Griever. **But make sure you explain it properly. This place isn't exactly a natural environment.**

_And Garden is?_ dismissed Squall. _We'll see - but so far it's the best idea I can come up with. Any better ones occur to either of you, let me know._

**Roger, o fearless leader,** came Griever's voice. It seemed that the common ground between Irvine and Rinoa consisted primarily of their sense of humor. Absolutely wonderful.

"I dunno," said Noddy. "I'd have to ask them. I'm not the boss, you know. That's Taran's job."

"Can you take me to Taran, then?" asked Squall, hating himself for having to use his son this way - but none of the others knew how to find Detmer's place. Deling City was not a small town by any means.

Noddy looked up at him, all innocence. "I don't even know your name," he said. "And if I believe you and you're our dad, it's just gonna confuse everybody."

Life had come full circle, it seemed. Laguna had always wanted Squall to call him 'dad' or at least 'father', and Squall had never gotten used to it. And now his own son was going to do the same thing to him. _May there one day be a generation of our family that can get over this problem of parents,_ he prayed. In the meantime, though, Nodwydd was exactly right.

"I'm called Squall," he said. "You call me...whatever you're up to calling me, I guess." He shrugged.

Nodwydd's green eyes went wide. "You have a water power?" he asked, plainly in awe. "Wow! Can I see?"

Squall managed to keep the wince from showing on his face. "I had one once," he admitted. "I lost it, though." _Damn you, Alicia._ "I had to, or it would have killed me." He closed his eyes briefly. _Say it, damn you - admit..._ "Like it killed your mother." _Whoever the hell she was - and thank Hyne I can't remember..._ This conversation was rapidly becoming more than Squall could handle. The edge of the pit drawing nearer, deeper...all of his control going into letting none of it show on his face, in his voice, or in his stance.

"Oh," said Noddy, plainly disappointed. "Will I die, too? From the power?"

Squall shook his head, grateful to be back on safer ground. "No - it's natural for you, like my other powers are for me. It won't hurt you. But Detmer just might hurt the others now he knows you're gone." He crouched down, so the boy could look him in the eye. "Nodwydd, are you quick? Are you quiet?"

The boy's chest fairly puffed out with pride. "You bet - that's why I always get picked to help daddy's - I mean Detmer's - friends. 'Cause I'm the best."

**Laguna is going to _love_ this little guy,** came Griever's laughing thought. Squall resolutely ignored it; enough with talking - there was important work to be done.

"Well then," he said. "You're going to have to show me where Detmer's house is, so I can meet your brothers and sisters." He hesitated. "Do you think they'll like me?" he asked. Hyne, he was starting to feel like a little kid again just _talking_ to Noddy.

_It's about time you did,_ came Rinoa's gentle voice. _It's something you were never really allowed to be._

Nodwydd considered the question seriously. "I think so," he said at last. "At least, as much as they like anybody. Daear and Gwynt you'll have to convince. Show 'em your power and they'll be good." He didn't sound overly concerned; apparently this was how they settled conflicts. It made Squall feel vaguely uneasy, remembering his fights with Seifer.

"Let's go, then," said Squall. "We'll come back for the others later, when they're awake, okay?"

Noddy grinned. "Sure. And you're going to show me your power, right?"

Squall looked down at his son. "Oh, yes," he said. "You'll get to see it. I promise."

**Right about the time you find Detmer, is that it?** came Griever's thought.

_Yes,_ thought Squall. _Last time we used it, it took out Alicia and Odine. This time let's get their work as well. It's time to go - give me your eyes._

**You can't take on that whole house alone, Squall. Take the others with you.**

_I'm not going to fight. I'm going to find out where the hell this place is, and get as many of the kids out as I can before the fighting starts. I've got a sick feeling that Detmer will kill them rather than let them go._

**He seems to have treated them very well so far,** came Griever's doubting thought.

_I don't think he's actually given them any reason to rebel yet, either. If the others have powers as strong as Nodwydd's, he could take over Deling City just with them in only a few more years. Why risk antagonizing them? But he's kept them isolated for the most part. Noddy's been out the most and even he doesn't know what Detmer's 'friends' are doing. He must know Noddy was taken by now - if I were he, I would be making sure I didn't lose any more. Further, I'd be making sure that Noddy didn't come back with any tales that might conflict with what the others have been told. These six stick together - they'd believe Noddy over him and he knows it._

_Squall, I think that's the most I've ever heard out of you at one time in my life,_ came Irvine's wondering voice, backed by Rinoa's laughter. _And I wish I could find a flaw in the logic, but I can't. You're one sick puppy, you know that?_

_I am what I was raised to be, _said Squall simply. _Now lend me your eyes._   
  
Griever didn't reply - but Squall's vision sharpened and grew more clear, so he knew that they had complied with his request. Looking down, he saw Nodwydd's leaf-green eyes darken into a field of solid black - quite dramatic given the boy's black hair - and together they moved quietly through the room full of sleeping SeeDs towards the door. Though outside it was day, in here there was no light; his friends (and that still took a little getting used to) needed their rest.

Once outside, he let the power go, and indicated to Noddy that he should do the same. "You know the way?" he asked.

"Oh yeah," said the boy with a grin. "I know my way all over town. I've been lots of places."

"I'll follow you, then," said Squall, keeping one hand on LionHeart's hilt. "Don't use your power if there's trouble, all right? Leave trouble to me."

"Why?" asked Noddy curiously. "I missed Irvine, but he's not so bad so I don't mind. I don't _usually_ miss."

"Didn't say you did. But there are going to be people looking for you, and I don't think we want them to find you. If you shoot needles at them - well, how many people can do that?"

"Oh," said Noddy. "Okay. This way." And before Squall could react, the boy grabbed his gloved hand and tugged, heading for an alley. He concentrated on staying relaxed, and keeping alert for any sign of pursuit or attack. These children had to be more valuable than gold to Detmer. There was no telling how far he'd go to keep them. 

* * * * * * * *

Zell was the first to rise - not really all that surprising, as his specialization required a higher degree of physical fitness than those of the others. It didn't take him long to realize that his brain had very definitely been out to lunch when he'd gone to bed; the hotel room lacked any sign of Nodwydd or Squall.

Of _course_ Squall hadn't gone to bed. Squall had been completely rested - and since Noddy had probably been sleeping before being called on to escort Irvine's captors, Noddy hadn't been all that tired either. And the silence in his head was deafening; he couldn't even ask Griever where the hell Squall could be. And he wasn't about to try getting on Tonberry's good side just to find out.

Besides - he already knew where they were headed - he just didn't know how to find the place on a map. There was only one place they would have gone; Soares Detmer's mansion. _Damn_ the man - hadn't ten years with Rinoa taught him _anything_ about not deserting his friends? About teamwork? Great Hyne, he was going into a completely unknown situation with only a ten year old kid for backup.

There had to be an easier way. They had proof now, after all, that Detmer was up to something. And there was still the Felians - but they still didn't know which ones to arrest. He blew out a long breath. That would probably have to wait until Irvine got back; he was the one who had the orders. Still - it didn't mean they couldn't just ask the local police where Detmer's house was.

Someone was stumbling around in the next room - so now he'd have company. He grinned; someone to share his idea with. They hit the bathroom first, of course. Zell opted to work through some kata until whoever it was felt presentable enough to join him in the sitting room. Women could be kinda picky about guys seeing them first thing in the morning, and with Squall out he was alone in female territory.

Not that Squall would have been much help in that regard. His friend had generally regarded women as either furniture, fighting companions, or pests to be avoided at all costs. How Rinoa had gotten Squall to really _see_ her as a woman was something Zell still hadn't figured out.

His friend-in-wakefulness turned out to be Bella, looking a bit green around the gills. Immediately he leaped up and offered her his seat; he knew better by now than to open with 'you look awful' but it was so preying on is mind that he couldn't think of anything else to say that didn't sound just as bad.

Bella took the offered seat and took a few deep breaths. "Zell, I was going to wait until this was over, but since we seem to be inundated with children right now, perhaps you'd better know."

"Um, Noddy's gone off with Squall," said Zell, not really sure where this was going. "No kids here..."

Bella smiled. "Sit down, Zell, or I won't be responsible for the consequences."

Zell took a seat, looking somewhat uncomfortable. Sitting wasn't his first choice when feeling nervous. "All right, sitting. What's up?"

Bella blushed, and looked at the floor. "Well...you see...um. Put it like this; Squall isn't the only one around who's a father..."

Zell looked completely confused for a moment, and then completely floored. He shot right out of his chair and swept Bella around in a fierce hug - then suddenly put her right back in her chair, evidently afraid he'd hurt her. "That's _great_ news," he gushed, and then sobered for a minute. "Um - waitaminute. How are we gonna finish this mission with you..umm...?"

"Pregnant, Zell. You can say the word." Bella shrugged. "I'm not that far along - and with Squall around I don't think our job here will take too long to finish. And you did say that after it was over you'd be at Garden for a while..."

Zell sobered right up at the reminder of his impending punishment. "Yeah, I will. Well - it should make life a little less dull, anyway. I was a real little hellcat in Balamb, they tell me." He shook his head. "Person'lly, I don't remember." He looked at her. "Do you mind if the little fellow's a SeeD?"

It was Bella's turn to frown. "Zell...did you ever think maybe your friend acts the way he does because he was never given a choice about becoming a SeeD?"

"Whaddaya mean?" asked Zell. "I know I got adopted before he did, and he was at Garden when I arrived - but so were Seifer and Quistis."

Bella shook her head. "I'm an information specialist, Zell. Did you know the exam for that consists of cracking Garden's security and handing in proof - along with a way to prevent a recurrence of that tactic? I got higher marks than Fujin because I took a harder test - I cracked the records of the earliest residents of Garden. Squall was _always_ at Garden - from day one. Seifer too. They were never adopted; they were always cadets, and I think it hurt them. I don't want that for our baby, Zell."

"Well, it certainly explains why Seifer's such a bastard," sighed Zell. "I can't stand the guy, but everyone should have a parent. But Squall's fine." At Bella's disbelieving look, he said, "Well, I thought so anyway," rather defensively.

She took his hand and patted it, smiling softly. "Yes, I know you do," she said. "I think you might be the only one, though. I'm a little surprised you're so loyal, given the rumors I heard."

Zell stood up and rolled his eyes. "Oh, you mean the whole 'Squall is gay and sleeping with Zell' rumors that kept going around, don't'cha. Hyne, Bella, I thought I knew you better than that."

"There was always someone willing to repeat it," shrugged Bella. "I verified that it was false as one of my assignments - it didn't make me any friends though. Apparently nobody ever thought to ask the known gays in Garden about that rumor."

"Bella, all he wanted was to be left alone. You've seen what he looks like - so damn pretty it makes your breath catch, even with that scar. It was a lot worse before he got that scar, when he wore cadet togs all the time." Zell frowned, staring off into space. "I used to be jealous - I mean, he didn't even have to try, and there were people all around wanting to get close to him. I didn't realize how much it bothered him until he got his own casual gear." He grinned. "Got the shock of my life that day. It took me a few weeks before I realized that he did that so people would leave him alone. He never cared whether people thought he was gay, straight, or screwing purple rabbits, so long as they left him alone."

"I have to admit it worked," said Bella. "I heard the girls sighing over him, but I never heard any of them talk about asking him on a date. Just the usual 'the prettiest ones already have boyfriends' talk."

"Screwed _my_ social life up something awful for a while, though," shrugged Zell. "He couldn't stop the rumors that we were going steady - I mean, we were roommates and all, and he knew if he denied it that would just make it worse." Zell looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know how he fixed that, don't you? If you checked the rumors then you must know. People always swore he didn't have any friends...but he did that for me. He did lots of little things like that over the years."

"Yes," said Bella. "I know." Squall had managed to quell the rumors by being seen in the company of various known members of Garden's gay community. He wasn't acting any more friendly with them than with anyone else, but the frequency of the sightings and his own manner of dress, coupled with his cold attitude toward the female cadets, 'added up'. He'd let people think he was sleeping around, so that Zell could be freed to find his own dates. An unconventional solution, but then it was a rather unconventional problem in the first place. She'd never found out what those men had gotten for allowing themselves to be seen that way - _anyone_ seen in Squall's company merited attention by the Disciplinary Committee, and Seifer was homophobic and tended therefore to unnecessary roughness. She rather doubted she'd be able to pry an answer out of Squall, either. She only knew it could not have been sex; beyond that, the small group had refused to elaborate.

"Nah....if our little fellow - or lady - turns out like Squall, I don't think I'll mind," said Zell. "I don't think _you_ should mind, either."

"All right," said Bella. "I'll leave it alone." Privately, she decided that Zell simply had a big blind spot when it came to Squall, and that it would do no good to argue with him about it.

* * * * * * * * *

The two stood in the shadow of a nearby alleyway, looking at the house with Guardian eyes. It wasn't so that they could see in the dark - the morning was bright and clear, and anyone with average vision could see just fine. It was so that they could pick out details that ordinary eyes couldn't see.

"Are there always motion detectors on?" asked Squall, but not as if he expected the answer to be 'yes'.

"Something's wrong," said Noddy, worried. "They should be up by now but it looks like everyone's asleep."

**Ask him if there's any signal he could give to his brothers and sisters, Squall,** said Griever. **They may work like a club, covering for each other as needed.**

Squall passed on the request, but Noddy shook his head. "We don't know how to use that little of the power," he said sadly. "I can't call _one_ needle - it's always a whole bunch of 'em. The same goes for the others. The only one of us who has anything like that kind of control is Gwynt."

Squall frowned at the house. Griever's eyes could see motion detection beams and trace them back to alarms. The house was locked up tight; there was no way into it without alerting those inside. Detmer knew that Noddy was taken, and wasn't going to take any chances - not of Noddy getting back in, or of any of the others getting out.

Which didn't meant they _couldn't_ get in. They just couldn't be subtle about it, as he'd hoped they could. He looked down at Noddy's trusting face. Laguna's temperament indeed; it had taken hardly any work at all to gain the boy's trust. Squall knew he himself would not have been so forthcoming at that age. Surely, among those in the house were a few that shared his own way of thinking - and those would be the most dangerous. Yet he could not risk losing one to make gaining the other five more easy. Certainly not this one, killer though he evidently was. He crouched down so that Noddy could see Griever's eyes and know he was being very serious.

"Is there some way you could help me get the others out of there, Noddy?" he asked. "Something I could say or show them that they'd know came from you?"

Noddy frowned at the house, thinking. "I dunno if it'll help 'cause some of 'em don't like to believe people," he said. "But I can give you my pendant. Da - I mean, Detmer gave it to me when I started doing things for him." He reached inside his shirt and pulled out a child's toy - a plastic representation of a cactaur, on an equally plastic string. Completely worthless, if you weren't the right person. Squall took it solemnly, though he had no idea if it would help.

It was better than having to fight off his own children, even if they were the children of demons.

**Don't be so hard on 'em,** said Griever. **Noddy seems to be all right. The others can't be all bad either, if they're half yours.**

_Where you got the impression I was some paragon of goodness, I have no idea,_ thought Squall tiredly. _I did what I was ordered to do, what had to be done. Quit thinking that makes me a hero._

Rinoa's laughter in his thoughts lifted his spirits, even though he was fairly sure she was laughing at him. Something about Rinoa being happy just made things...not so bad. It didn't matter why. He pocketed the little toy, and said, "I need you to get the others here. Can you find your way back?"

"Easy," grinned Noddy. "Where will you be?"

"I'm going to see if I can find a way in. Tell the others if they see a fuss to come in swinging. Otherwise wait for me here."

"Gotcha," said Noddy, and ran off - evidently thrilled to be in on such a 'covert operation'. Kids loved games of spies.

**All right, now that was a little low of you,** said Griever. **You _know_ Detmer is looking for him, and you send him halfway across town alone?**

_He can defend himself a lot better than you seem to think,_ replied Squall in the silence of his thoughts, in motion once more around the house's perimeter. _He missed Irvine, but not by much. He's killed before. There isn't much left that I could even try to protect him from, so why try?_

**He is your _son_, Squall. That's supposed to mean you protect him.**

_And when he actually needs it, he'll have it. For a jog across town he does not need it - especially when my attention is better directed elsewhere._

For a moment, Griever reached out to him - Rinoa's compassion and Irvine's indignation working together. For Rinoa's sake, he let them see what was bothering him. He really didn't know what he was supposed to do; on the one hand there was a basic, almost instinctual need to protect this boy he knew to be his son. On the other was the certain knowledge that said boy had already taken human lives and had no problem with it - and the certainty that his siblings were in dire need of removal from this place where they were confined. There was no clear 'right road' for him to follow - all was cast in shadow, and all he could do was choose the best option at the time.

Griever settled back - or at least, somewhat back. Squall needed its eyes to see the traps laid around the house, as he circled the perimeter looking for an opening.

He had the senses of a Guardian Force - or of someone gifted with GF power. So when he got to the southwest corner it was not a problem for him to pick up the sounds of children arguing, their voices edged in panic.

He gripped the hilt of LionHeart, found an unobtrusive spot, and listened....amber-gold cat's eyes narrowing.


	17. Assault

The three SeeDs were discussing lots of things over a quick breakfast - everything from the possibility of getting Soares Detmer's address from the local police to good names for Zell's upcoming child - when the polite knock on their door had them scrambling as one to answer it. Neither Squall nor Noddy had a room key, after all - Irvine's was with Irvine himself, and who knew exactly where _that_ was.

Noddy gave a rather startled yelp when Zell unceremoniously hauled him into the room, and his first comment was, "What'd ya hafta go an' do that for?"

"Cause you and your - and Squall gave us one helluva scare, kiddo," he said unapologetically, ignoring Bella's 'don't swear' glance. "And people are prob'ly gonna be lookin' for you real soon - and here, too. Where's Squall? He okay?"

Noddy looked at their anxious faces as though that were the stupidest question he'd ever heard. "O' _course_ he's okay. We were gonna see if we could get the others out, but there's these red lines all over the place that weren't there before, and Squall said I should come get you guys while he tried to get in." He sounded quite proud to have been entrusted with such an important job - but Selphie looked ready to kill, and Bella was only slightly less furious.

"He sends his own kid all the way across town alone," said Selphie. "I am gonna beat him _so_ black and blue when we catch up to him." She gave her nunchaku a twirl. "You up to running all the way back there, Noddy?"

"Oh, yeah. It's not all that far, really. I've gone all the way across Deling and back sometimes."

"Well, hopefully this will be all you need to do today," said Bella, hoping to calm the boy down before his pride got the better of him. "Zell - I think you're probably going to be the official escort; Selphie's still a little tired from Garden, and I've...well, we've covered that."

"Sounds good to me," said Selphie. "While Irvy's gone I'm in charge, so I'll just say it's official and we can get going, right?" She made a little shooing motion with her hands. "So get going, already!"

Noddy gave a devilish grin and immediately set off at an incredibly fast pace down the corridor, the SeeDs doing their best to catch up.

* * * * * * * * *

Squall listened intently from his position near the mansion's southwest corner, hanging fiercely onto his Griever junction so as to catch every word, separate out the speakers.

Children, arguing. It was pushing coincidence to believe they were other than the ones he'd come for. He couldn't go to them - not without setting off a horde of alarms. But he could listen, learn what he could of who they were, and what was going on.

_"What'd he mean, Noddy won't be coming back? Why wouldn't he be coming back?"_ a girl's voice, thin and reedy and petulant.

_"Because they found the guys he went with last night and they're dead,"_ said a boy's voice, clear but a little higher than Noddy's.

_"That doesn't mean Noddy is dead though,"_ said a second boy, thoughtfully. _"Just the people he was with. He's strong - he wouldn't die."_

_"Huh. Like it matters,"_ said a second girl's voice, low and snide. _"He was always the one daddy picked for the fun things. Serves him right if somebody shot him."_

That could only be Daear, mused Squall. Noddy had said she liked hurting people. If he managed to get her out of that house alive, there would need to be changes. He surprised himself somewhat that he could remember the name. He wondered which of the boys' voices was Gwynt, and which Taran.

_"I don't want Noddy to be dead,"_ said a girl's voice - almost identical to the first girl's but not quite; something was different about the way the words were said. _"He promised we could go picking flowers next weekend if I was good."_

_"Noddy couldn't have taken you anyway, Cariad,"_ said the thoughtful boy authoritatively - causing Squall to peg him as Taran, whom Noddy had said was the leader. _"He would've had to get daddy's okay to do that."_

_"But why isn't he coming back?"_ asked the first girl again.

_"I don't know,"_ said Taran, _"and you can just shut up about people shooting him, Daear. Nobody'd shoot him, so quit scaring Chwaer."_

What a mouthful to name a girl. Squall shook his head against the multiple-voiced chuckling of Griever.

_"So if he's not dead then why isn't he coming back?_" said the boy who had to be Gwynt, argumentatively. _"And why've we gotta be hiding in here? Why aren't we allowed to help?"_

_"I don't know,"_ repeated Taran. _"But I want everybody ready to get us out of trouble. Somethin's not right, and I don't like it."_

**Smart kid,** said Griever. **It's sad that we'll have to prove him right.**

_I know their voices now, _said Squall, _and about where they are. The girls don't sound like they'll be much help - and Daear sounds like trouble. But the two boys we can probably both save without too many problems._

**Here's something you forgot to ask,** said Griever. **You don't know what they can _do_.**

There was a smile in Squall's thoughts if not on his face, as he said, _Actually, I already know._

It had been a very long time since he'd managed to so completely frustrate Rinoa, and it lightened his mood somewhat as he made his way back to the alley where the others would meet him.

* * * * * * * * *

His friends were indeed waiting in the alley when he arrived, the two women shooting murderous glares at him that plainly said _you idiot._ Zell didn't seem to be much worried - but then, Zell had long ago developed absolute faith in his friend. In a way, it hurt. It was hard to be the recipient of such faith, when he knew it was probably undeserved. Noddy was still running on the adrenaline high of getting to play in adult games of intrigue.

"There's no way to surprise them," said Squall by way of an opener. "There are motion sensors in a blanket field all around the property, rigged to alarms. We're going to have to do a blitz - break in, do what we have to, and get out before whatever security they've got rigged to those alarms goes off." 

"You know where the kids are?" asked Zell. "Don't wanna chuck a grenade in the front door to find out they were sittin' in the living room."

"Southwest corner," said Squall. He turned to Noddy. "He's got them all locked in one room, and he's told them you're not coming back."

"Squall!" said Selphie, aghast. "You don't tell kids things like that!"

Squall glared at her, but his voice was level as he said, "Selphie, if being told his siblings think he's dead is the worst thing that happens to him or the others today, I will personally apologize. Now shut up."

_Get used to it, Squall, _came Irvine's chuckling voice. _It's called back-seat parenting and just about everybody does it._

_Then I may just have to reintroduce them to the concept of talking to a wall,_ shot back Squall. _They are my responsibility at the end of the day - no one else's._

**Does this mean you will let them live?** asked Griever.

Squall gave the mental equivalent of a sigh. _I don't know,_ he said at last. _I want to save them if I possibly can...but this place is locked up tight and I don't know if we can do it. Detmer has had years to prepare for this very eventuality._

"So what's the plan?" asked Bella, interrupting his thoughts.

"I'll blow you an entrance," said Squall, and pointed at the front door. "That'll give you a few seconds to get in and take down any survivors. Head for the southwest corner as fast as you can, take out every adult along the way. There's a room in that corner with five kids in it - probably locked, and probably heavily guarded. Take out the guards but don't open the door. Leave that for Noddy."

"You can't mean to take him in there with us," said Bella indignantly.

Squall was beginning to get tired of this. "Bella, if he goes he might get killed -true. But if he _doesn't_ go, those five kids have no way of knowing we're not here to kill them, and every last one has power equivalent to a person with a junctioned GF. I heard them, not long ago. They're scared, and they're angry. The first person who opens that door that they don't know is going to _die_. I have to try to save as many as I can."

He nodded to Selphie. "Irvine said that there are no solve-everything solutions. Don't question me on this again." He turned to Zell. "Take Noddy with you - you're the best in close quarters. Protect him if you can." He knew that Zell would hear the unspoken order, that even Selphie wouldn't hear. _And if you can't protect him, kill him quickly._ There must be no chance that his children - and even thinking that phrase twisted like a knife in the gut - would be raised as weapons of war. Zell's expression grew serious, even grim, but he gave one short nod - acknowledging both the spoken and unspoken command.

It was the same choice he had made long ago regarding Rinoa; better to hate himself for killing his children, than to forbear and hate himself for killing the world. He would have preferred that - if it must be done - he do it himself. But he wouldn't be fast enough, and Zell would at least be quick. The martial artist could snap the boy's neck before he even knew the danger.

It felt like he was signing away a piece of his own soul, condemning a part of himself to death. Yet there were no better options available.

"So how are you going to get us in?" asked Selphie.

Squall didn't answer her directly, instead looking down into the entranced face of his son - his son who plainly didn't care one jot for the danger, but was delighted at the idea of excitement. It felt like someone had stabbed him, knowing that he had just set Zell to be this trusting boy's possible executioner. But he kept it from his face and his voice as he said, "You wanted to see my power. This is one of my powers."

He turned back to the others. "As soon as the doors are opened, make tracks." Then he walked out into the open area before the mansion's gate, lining himself up with the front door. He drew Lionheart, its moonglow blade only faintly visible in the midmorning light, and held it tip-down with both hands on the grip. The price of Renzokuken was pain; he had pain enough to call it at will, this day. 

He took all the pain of his children's existence, all the pain of having missed their lives, of having to leave them, and of possibly having to kill them - and he forced it through his hands into his gunblade. White tendrils of energy smoked up from the blade's tip and swirled around him. Raising LionHeart above his head, he called Blasting Zone - and when he lowered the gunblade it blew the mansion's gate and front door into nothingness, and probably any people in a straight line from the front door to the back door as well.

The SeeDs ran for the opening as soon as it became available, Zell practically dragging Noddy who was staring with rapt admiration at Blasting Zone's effects. Squall didn't join them for a second; it always took a few moments for him to recover after a non-combat-related Renzokuken. Emotional pain was harder to put back in its box, perhaps. That was why he had ordered them to be ready, and why he'd waited for them in the first place - so that they could take advantage of the surprise and chaos Blasting Zone would cause.

He caught his breath and gripped his gunblade firmly, and ran full-tilt for the mansion's entrance.

* * * * * * * * *

Noddy seemed to know where to go, so Zell just kept track of the turns and the general direction and kept up. Squall had been right to set him this job; both Selphie and Bella would have been left in the dust by now but Zell knew how to run. He didn't strike to kill unless his attacker was armed; there were hordes of servants around and most were just trying desperately to get out of the way.

_Why me?_ he wanted to ask - but he already knew the answer. He was better than any of the others at reading the Manual of Squall; the slight changes in expression and barely heard traces of emotion in his voice went unnoticed by almost everyone else. Zell had known Squall before the walls were as high as they were now; he knew where the metaphorical chinks were.

Squall wanted these children alive - he knew that. But rather than let them live under someone else's care, he wanted them dead. That was the real order - he was trusting Zell to kill these six children rather than let them remain here. An order that Selphie or Bella would have automatically refused.

The trouble was, Zell didn't know if he could do it. They were only kids, after all, and seemed to be pretty good ones. Oh, he understood the reasoning - that needle attack of Noddy's had given him a pretty good startle - but still. He didn't know for certain why Squall had chosen _him_ - whether it was because Zell might be the best at doing the job, or because he trusted Zell more than he did the others on the team, even with a job like this.

Kadowaki hadn't been stretching the truth in the slightest, when she'd told him it wouldn't be easy to be Squall's friend.

"Whoa," said Noddy. "Lookit all the people!"

Zell skidded to a halt and ducked into a side corridor, pulling Noddy with him. Yes, there were lots of people - lots of _guards_. This had to be the place. Even jewels generally didn't merit two dozen armed guards within a house. He clenched his fists - they had guns, no way could he take them out with his fists - and he didn't trust the structure of the house to be able to withstand the amount of magic required. Thundaga and Firaga would set the whole place on fire, and Blizzaga would cause the floorboards to snap like dried twigs. That left the more subtle stuff.

"Sleep", he whispered, aiming it in a mass cloud. It was too simple to work - and failed spectacularly. The guards had been enhanced. Detmer had the secret of the power of Guardian Force power - it was too much to hope that he wouldn't use it. Tonberry would be worse than useless against so many, too.

He looked down at Noddy, kicking himself for having to do this. "Noddy...you think you could shoot the guards?" _Damn, Squall is gonna fuckin' kill me. And I'll sit still while he does it, too. But we gotta do what we can._

Noddy eyed the collection of men critically. "Yeah. This is a small space. I can get 'em all. Stand back."

Zell didn't have to be told twice, but he made sure he could see the guards, reflected in a hall mirror. If he was going to make Squall's boy kill, he wanted to make sure he didn't forget it, didn't hide from it. There wasn't any other choice, but that didn't make the one he was left with any better.

Noddy's green eyes darkened into a solid field of glittering black. It made the boy look vaguely sinister, and the fierce frown of concentration - so much like Squall's - didn't help either. Zell had to fight not to look away as the little boy raised his fists to his chests, then darted out into the hall and aimed them at the guards.

The light was good here, unlike the streets of Deling last night. Zell saw a horde of tiny needles fly forth from Nodwydd's little fists, filling the hall, turning everything in their path into shrapnel.

The guards didn't just die...they disintegrated, stuck so full of needles that they were effectively minced just standing there. The hall was filled with gore, and Zell - who had seen much bloodier sights in his time - had to keep his lips shut against the need to throw up. _A little kid...Hyne, no wonder Squall's afraid to let them live. What'll he be like when he grows up, when he can do this now and not mind?_

And indeed, Noddy didn't seem to mind what he'd done at all. He trotted unconcernedly amid the bloody corpses, and fished out a key from what must once have been a pocket but was now just a bloody patch of tattered cloth. Zell moved to protect him; if last night was any indication, Noddy was now defenseless for a while.

Noddy called in, "Guys, it's me! We've got some new friends, just trust me, okay?"

"Unlock the door, chatterbox," said a boy's voice inside, with a note of authority that - despite the circumstances - almost made Zell grin. Especially when Noddy moved automatically to do as he'd been told.

The room wasn't large, and the five children were all wary - to judge by their Guardian Force eyes. One boy was almost a clone of Squall, and he was standing by the doorway with eyes that glowed yellow white with an electric sparkle. But there was no suspicion in his face; just caution, just wariness. It was the other boy - whose eyes swirled purple and yellow - who had all the suspicion.

It was so easy to pretend these were the children of Squall and Rinoa; all he could see in their features he could trace back to Squall, and it was easy to think that if the child had dark hair it must have come from Rinoa. How was it possible?

"This is Zell - he's okay," said Noddy. "He's with some others that are our friends." The boy looked practically ready to burst with all the things he knew. "There's gonna be some ugly stuff going on, and they want us to go outside for now, okay?"

"We don't get to use our powers?" said a girl with Squall's hair and face, but a sour expression and yellow-gold eyes. "What can this guy do that we can't?"

"Kick your ass six ways from Sunday if you don't get moving," said Zell - who was beginning to worry about reinforcements arriving. "And if you give me any grief, you're gonna find out just how short a fuse your dad has." He used the word deliberately - knowing that Noddy would know who he meant, and the others wouldn't.

"He can do it, too," said Noddy. "He's like us, Daear. So come on already!"

As the children filed out, Noddy told Zell their names. Taran was the one with the yellow-white sparkling eyes, the boy with the purple-yellow swirls and the suspicious face was Gwynt, Daear was the surly girl...and the last two girls were twins. Identical twins; one was called Chwaer and one Cariad, but Zell didn't have time to work out which one was which. He hoped he could keep them all straight. He set Noddy to watching the rear as he took point, leading the way out of the house.

Selphie and Bella found them shortly thereafter, and immediately took up positions on either side of the little group, as Noddy performed another round of reassurances and introductions. It seemed Squall had been right; the five other children would probably have attacked with everything they'd had if the SeeDs had not brought Noddy with them. It didn't make the two women any happier, and their faces were set in grim lines as they tried to herd the group out of the house, fighting everyone who got in their way.

"No!" came a voice they recognized, down one of the halls. Zell diverted course without even thinking, the group coming along. Squall - angry?

"And here they are," said a man about Zell's age. "Will you do it then? In front of them? Can you?"

* * * * * * * * 

Squall ran down the corridors, LionHeart's moonglow blade casting ghostly flickers of light down the indoor corridors as he fought. He didn't much care whether the people in his way were servants or soldiers. There was only one thing driving him; find his way into the back of the house, and get those kids out.

What he'd do after that was a problem for later. The only way he could deal with any of the many problems associated with those children was to just take one at a time. Right now, the problem was their captivity - solve that, then move on to the next...

A gunshot to the side sent him into a ducking roll; he came up facing the source of the sound, LionHeart held defensively in front of him - enough to prevent a lethal shot. Some guy was standing there grinning, and holding...Exeter?

**This is Soares Detmer,** came Griever's thought. **Irvine remembers.**

Wonderful. Irvine was beginning to lose his identity in Griever; there wouldn't be a whole lot more time.

The man called Detmer, for his part, stared at Squall for a moment and then smiled. "You...I remember you."

"More than I can say for you," said Squall. "Where are they?" _Don't move too quickly, don't startle someone when there's a gun aimed at you..._

The man's genial expression faded. "As if I would tell a mercenary like yourself that, Squall Leonhart. The years have been good to you...as beautiful as ever."

Squall ignored the commentary. He'd already heard every variation the human mind could think up. "Don't play games with me, Detmer. You told them that Nodwydd wasn't coming back; you'd have killed him if you could."

The man's expression turned sly. "As if you haven't entertained that possibility yourself, even though they are the children of your body." His grin widened; a purely malicious smile. "You have, haven't you, mercenary? They're so sweet...and so deadly. And soon they'll be teenagers, with all the rage and pain a teenager feels. With their powers, who could control them?"

Squall tried not to let it bother him, that the man could evidently read his thoughts. "Tell me where they are," he repeated, nothing but grim determination in his voice.

"You really don't remember me, do you?" said Detmer. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't feel too hurt. I was only there for a day, after all, and you were...otherwise occupied."

Squall refused to rise to the bait. "If you were there you would be dead now," he snapped. "You're looking good for a corpse." _Darkness at the edge of thought, the hint of a scream..._

"As I said, I was only there for a day." shrugged Detmer. "I was just visiting a friend, catching up on old times...you honestly didn't think she made that wonderful complex just for _you_, did you? Centra's outside Galbadian law - she used to throw such wonderful parties there." He glared at Squall for a moment. "Until you killed her, that is."

"Don't expect me to shed any tears," said Squall. _Darkness growing closer, screams at the edge of hearing..._

"A mercenary, cry?" Detmer laughed. "You're incapable of it. She gave you the best time to be had anywhere in the world, and you killed her for it. And if your friends have found the children, I'll have to kill them, too. I don't need them anymore, anyway. I've learned what I needed from them."

"Touch them and I'll kill you," said Squall. It sounded like a promise. _The pit is there, endless darkness emitting howls of pain..._

"They call me 'daddy', did you know that?" Detmer laughed. "Isn't that rich? You, their father...but I am their daddy. You can't kill me if there's any chance they'll hear about it. They'd never forgive you." He leaned forward - Exeter still squarely aimed at Squall - and said, "You want to be near them, don't you? Perhaps it can be arranged. You were quite a good lay, after all."

_The ground crumbling underfoot, arms windmilling as balance wavers at the edge of madness..._

"No!" yelled Squall, raising LionHeart, ready to charge forward and take Detmer's head off his shoulders even if Exeter blew him full of holes first. He didn't register the sound of footsteps behind him, but Detmer did.

"And here they are," he said. "Will you do it then? In front of them? Can you?"


	18. Father

The tableau was complete. Soares Detmer dominated the room like the king on a chessboard, Exeter leveled at Squall, whose hands were clenched around a raised LionHeart, his eyes half-lost in a darkness only he could see. 

And the observers were all around; Zell, Bella, Selphie, and the six children of power. Selphie and Bella immediately started backing out of the room, trying to herd the children with them. But the children didn't want to go. Of them all, only Noddy even knew who Squall was - the others saw a strange man threatening the only father they knew, and they refused to leave. Zell stopped their efforts with one shake of his head. 

"They gotta know," he said. "We can't hide 'em - they'll come up with worse ideas than the ones they could see. They're not sheltered." _Not when Noddy can turn a room full of guards into hamburger without blinking._

**Squall, you cannot kill him here. You cannot kill him in front of the children.** Rinoa and Irvine were in firm agreement on that. Irvine flashed clear memories of Galbadian soldiers shooting his parents into Squall's mind, while Rinoa had the more emotional approach; the children could never trust him if they saw him kill the only father they knew. 

Squall, however, barely heard any of it. He was exerting all of his strength, all of his willpower, not to fall into the endless darkness that was Alicia's permanent mark on his psyche. He wasn't there yet - he still had control over himself, and his actions. Barely. There was no soul in the darkness. There was only rage, and pain, and the endless need to kill to expunge it. The warrior's body freed of all restraint. Detmer's death would be the very least of it. If he lost control, in this place and at this time, he could not say with any certainty that his own fears regarding his children would not spell their deaths. Or whether his acknowledgment of his friends _as_ friends would prove to be more weakness than the warrior could handle. 

"You can stay with us, you know," said Detmer pleasantly. "A room to yourself, and we could have such games every night." His tone was lighthearted, but the SeeDs understood the predatory gleam in his eyes. He knew what he was doing to Squall. He was _trying_ to push Squall over the edge, trying to force him to attack - so that he could then shoot him, in a way the children could regard as self-defense. Even Noddy would not doubt him then. 

_The pit filling his vision, darkness all around extending to the horizon...soft inviting blackness...pull self from self and leave death behind...leave pain behind..._

**We will not let you go,** came Griever's voice. The Guardian Force placed itself between Squall and that break, Rinoa's love and Irvine's steadfast friendship combining to shield him from his own darker nature... 

Zell looked from Detmer to Squall and came to a decision. The man had to die, and Squall couldn't be the one to do it - even if he managed to get a grip on himself in time. The children had to know that this man was no loving father. But they'd never learn of it from Squall, not this way at any rate. He looked down at the children; five strangers with a little of Squall in each, and one little boy who was all Laguna. 

He darted into the room, into Exeter's line of fire, and grabbed Squall by the arm - intending to drag him out of the room. Exeter fired, and pain bloomed all along his side, causing one leg to crumple underneath him. Instead of dragging Squall out of the room, he ended up dragging Squall down on top of him. He heard little _thwick_ noises, and the startled cries of the children, but all he could see was Squall, whose face was only inches from his own... 

The sudden movement and contact had startled Squall badly. Standing as he had been on the edge of a personal hell, his first reaction had been to jerk away, but Exeter's gunfire had pulled him back into himself - a soldier who daydreamed while shots were being fired didn't live long, and Squall had learned that so well as to make the response a reflex. Then he was being pulled down, and he landed on top of someone with an _oof_. 

Zell? But Zell never lost his balance. Was _famous_ for not losing his balance. Squall shook his head sharply and rolled off of him, gunblade at the ready - only to find that for once he'd managed to completely miss everything. Detmer slumped where he stood, blood dripping around a neat pattern of throwing stars in his throat. And Zell...Bella was running into the room now that she'd taken care of the only threat, Selphie left to watch the children as she ran forward... 

Zell had taken a shot from Exeter at close range; Squall could feel Irvine cringing in his mind - Exeter was the most powerful shotgun in the world. There wasn't a cure spell strong enough to save his friend from a shot at such close range. He was still breathing, but it was getting shallower now. Squall knew a mortal wound when he saw it; it was possible that even had he been junctioned to Griever, there would not have been a way to save him. The assassin's weapon had been good...but Exeter was the best. He looked into his friend's eyes and knew that Zell, too, knew there wasn't going to be a great rescue this time. 

Squall didn't bother with questions of 'why'. For him this wasn't a permanent goodbye; soon he, too, would be in the lands of eternity, and Zell would undoubtedly be able to tell him everything then. No - there was more important business to be done with the few minutes left. Heedless of the blood, Squall propped Zell up against his own body - so that he could see Bella. Squall grabbed Bella's wrist as she was casting curagas, and shook his head. 

"You don't have time for that," he said flatly. "Talk now, while he's still here." 

Bella, tears streaming down her face, looked ready to hit him. Squall just stared her in the eyes, let her know that he wasn't kidding. Zell was dying; casting curagas just wasted the few minutes he had left. 

"You didn't have to.." Bella began, trying to say everything at once. 

Zell blinked slowly, grinned. "Y's, I did," he said softly. "Squall couldn't do it...can't kill their dad...we couldn't do't either, 'n'less we had a reason. Gave y'reason." 

"You didn't have to let him shoot you," said Bella, crying. "You're always taking on too much for Squall. This wasn't your fight!" 

"S'was," mumbled Zell, growing sleepy with blood loss. "SeeD." 

Squall looked up at Bella. "Say it now, if you're going to," he said flatly, eyes dead. Bella looked ready to punch him. 

"I love you, Zell," she said. 

"You too..." Zell whispered back, then his eyes closed. Another breath, and then he lay still. 

Squall moved out from behind him, and laid his body gently down on the floor. He pulled off Zell's cestus gloves, and the platinum Griever ring. This, he held out to Bella, face expressionless. 

"Oh no," she snarled. "He did everything for you, you bastard, and you just stood there and let him get killed. I am _not_ going to take Griever's goddamn junction. You've already taken my Zell - you won't take me or our baby on top of it!" 

"The ring makes you visible to the dead," said Squall, still in that dead, emotionless voice. "Zell will see you and hear you if you wear it. We'll find another to hold the junction." He held Zell's Ehrgeiz gloves in his other hand. "Keep these. He told me once he wanted his children to know how to use them." 

"Another generation of soldiers," said Bella, gingerly taking the gloves and ring. "You really trained him well, you know that? I suppose you'll send your six to Garden now, let them become soldiers, too." 

"No," said Squall. "Zell joined SeeD because he wanted to. He stayed because he liked the life. I didn't, and I don't." and with that he left Bella with Zell's broken body, speaking softly with Selphie for a moment before kneeling down to address his children. Selphie came over to Bella, tears openly streaming down her cheeks as she joined her friend in grief. 

"Why did he get in the middle like that - why did daddy shoot him?" said one of the girls. By her voice, Squall pegged her as Cariad. The one who liked flowers. She looked like a perfect replica of Rinoa - so much so that it twisted him inside, knowing that she wasn't Rinoa's daughter. Alicia's twisted mind again - but at least he couldn't remember their mothers. He couldn't see their mothers in them. Thank Hyne for small mercies. Hyne certainly didn't seem to bother with big ones. 

_Lend me your eyes, Rinoa,_ he thought tiredly. _We can't let them stay here._

As his vision sharpened with Griever's eyes, he said, "Soares Detmer was not your father." Nerving himself again, he said, "I am. I've been looking for you." Briefly he wondered if there would ever come a day when he could openly call these little ones his children without remembering the days of their conception. Probably not. 

Once again, Griever's eyes let them believe him where lesser proofs might not have worked. Children didn't do very well with the resemblance argument, but these six regarded the shifting eyes as incontrovertible proof. 

"Detmer shot Zell because Zell was trying to save me," said Squall slowly. "He knew I would stop him from hurting you, and he didn't want that." 

"If you're our daddy, where have you been? Why'd you come back now?" 

It must be conversation with children, mused Squall. Adults were nowhere near as difficult to talk to. "I've been...far away," he said slowly. "And I came back as soon as I knew where you were. We should get to the hotel now. Bella wants to be alone with Zell." 

He stood up and led the children out of the house, quiet now that its master was dead. He wasn't sure, even now, if Zell had done the right thing - but then, he'd never really understood Zell. Irvine was a friend; there was common ground there, sometimes even similarity of viewpoint. Zell was more like a brother - the sort of friendship that happens not in spite of differences, but because of them. He'd known Squall might choose to have all six children executed, but he'd sacrificed his own life so that the children could have a chance. 

**Friendships work like that sometimes,** said Griever. **It's not exactly a balance sheet where everything adds up.**

_How's he taking life on the other side?_ asked Squall, reminding himself that Zell wasn't exactly permanently gone. 

**We've invited him into our realm, **said Griever. **At the moment, he's busy gawking. Ask us in about an hour or so. He should be his usual self by then. You gave Bella the ring, right?**

_Oh, you missed that? Yes, she has the ring - and tell Zell I gave her the gloves and his instructions regarding them as well. She won't take the junction, though. She blames me for his death - she's probably right about that, too._ Death rather lost its sting when you knew you'd be talking to the person again. Still...Zell had saved his life so many times, and when the time came to repay the debt Squall had failed to deliver. 

**Oh, no you don't,** said Griever. **You're not going there again. Zell doesn't think you owe him a damn thing - he thinks _he_ still owes _you_. So for once you can both shut up and leave it be. Or at least you can wait until you get back here and we're not in the middle of it.**

The indignant tone in Griever's voice - and in Rinoa's part of it - made a smile twitch at the corners of Squall's mouth. He opted to let the argument lie; Griever was right, after all, it could wait - and concentrated on getting to know his children, trying not to think about the fact that now, Zell never would know his own child. 

**Again, Squall _leave it_. We have an idea in that regard that may solve the problem.**

_Rinoa..._ sighed Squall, _believe it or not, but I think I'm feeling homesick._

Griever didn't reply in words, but he got a mental impression of enthusiastic applause. 

_Irvine...now that you've got an idea how this works - would you be willing to take the junction? Bella won't now, and I can't really blame her._

_I'm not that active outside of Garden,_ came Irvine's voice. _So I don't know if that's a good idea._

_Just until we can find a good fighter to take it, _said Squall. _One of these little ones, possibly - if I can't talk them all out of becoming SeeDs, anyway. Maybe Zell's baby, in time. Bella may not want to fight but I can't see a kid of Zell's living the quiet life._

_Why're you so down on SeeD, Squall? It's made you into the man you are today, after all._

_Exactly,_ said Squall, touching a light gloved finger to his scar. _I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy._

_If I recall correctly, and I almost always do, that's exactly what your worst enemy got. And he seems to be doing all right. Recent rumor holds that he and Fujin are now an item._

_You are so damn lucky I haven't had food in ten or so years,_ growled Squall. 

Griever laughed. Squall got on with getting the children to the hotel. 

* * * * * * * *

Selphie and Bella waited for the authorities to arrive, then presented their mission parameters. Since Detmer had plainly killed Zell, the SeeDs were within their rights to kill him. While they were at it they also laid out grounds for arrest for the house of Felian; after this day's work they were going to take the head of the house into custody unless he could prove that he _wasn't_ involved; Selphie found a check in Detmer's pocket from the head of House Felian for a sizable amount of cash - presumably for Irvine's capture. 

Selphie laid down the paperwork required for Garden to take the six children - legally orphans now with Detmer's death. She had no idea what Squall was going to do with them, but there needed to be a legal option for Garden to deal with such powerful people. Bella watched over the 'recovery' of Zell's body - laying it on a stretcher, getting it ready for a return to Garden. She knew about Garden's policy regarding funerals; she wasn't looking forward to telling Ma Dincht about this. Especially since she had only met Ma Dincht once or twice in her life; most of her relationship with Zell had been in Esthar. 

She wanted to cry; she wanted to beat on Zell's chest and make him _wake up, damnit_. He was always so active - even in sleep he tended to toss and turn unless he'd had a really exhausting day. It was his stillness, more than the blood or the paleness of his skin under the blackflame tattoo, that convinced her he was really dead. 

And Squall, that cold bastard, hadn't shed a single tear, or given any sign he grieved at all. 

Well, of course he wouldn't. In a few days, he too would be gone. Why grieve? But Bella wouldn't hear Zell again for a long, long time. She clenched the ring in her hand. Such a pitiful exchange, wordless emotion instead of heartfelt words. But she remembered the serenity Laguna had had about his dead wife, Raine. Perhaps it would help. Anything was better than this tearing aloneness. She jammed the ring on her thumb; the only finger it would fit. 

And after a few moments, she did indeed feel her lover's presence, wrapped around her shoulders as though he held her in an embrace. And it helped. 

* * * * * * * *

Garden came at sundown to pick up its SeeDs. Squall set foot in the place somewhat uneasily; given the circumstances of his departure. He had no room here any more; officially, he was after all dead, any possessions he had had that were not on his person or in Esthar had been distributed according to his contingency messages. 

Sundown was a good time to move unobtrusively; most of Garden was in the Cafeteria, eating dinner. Selphie wrapped Squall in a concealing cape until he got to the Commander's office, where a fight with Xu ensued that many of the dining SeeDs would have paid good money to see. Squall considered himself a SeeD, but the only orders he would ever follow again were his own. Particularly when Xu tried to order him to hand over his children for training. Squall was adamant - his children were not to be considered cadets unless he _personally_ consented - and anyone inclined to argue could tell it to the cold blue tip of LionHeart. 

He would have gone home, back to the purple-silver expanses of Griever's realm with his children, but there was yet one more duty to attend to. Selphie had told him Bella was going to tell Ma Dincht about Zell; Squall decided that this would be the last thing he could do for Zell. Let him have a funeral - none of the others would ever get that, unless they had adult children when they died. 

So, thanks to Selphie and Quistis essentially holding Xu's throat to an axe, Squall had Rinoa's old suites in the guest wing. His children, at his insistence, were given adjacent rooms - though they were technically now students of Garden. They regarded the guest wing as their personal playground, and Squall just kept them from leaving that wing. It still hurt to look at them, and it still hurt to be around them - _hey, remember the time you were chained up and tortured for three days straight?_ - but at the same time, he had to acknowledge that in his way he loved them. Rinoa was delighted; she was looking forward to meeting them in person. Squall would have argued that they weren't her problem, that she shouldn't worry about them, but he was rapidly coming to the conclusion that he was going to need all the help he could get. 

He didn't bother trying to sleep; he knew the others fairly well. He spent a while wearing the children out - a revelation in itself, for he couldn't remember his own childhood, and they had to explain their games to him - and when they were safely asleep, he put on a SeeD uniform and headed out for his old haunt on the second floor deck - in uniform, most SeeDs woudn't give him a second glance, just one more mercenary coming back from a mission. The silence, after the noise of six hyperactive, high-powered children, was pure heaven. But he couldn't risk the children running loose in Garden. Daear in particular had specific views regarding other people, and the respect they should show her, and he had enough trouble with Xu already. 

Except the silence in his thoughts. He still felt Rinoa's presence, through their bond, but he missed hearing the running commentary of her thoughts. 

"I never would have pegged you as a family man, Squall," said Seifer as he came through the door to the deck. 

Squall just shrugged. "Me either," he admitted. 

"Just passing through - again? Should we keep a suite for you, so you can drop in once or twice a century?" 

Squall turned around, irritated. "Seifer, don't you ever get tired of it?" 

"Tired of what? Tired of you treating Garden and everyone in it like your personal residence? Yeah, I get tired of it. I especially get tired of everyone letting you. If it'd been me, you'd have been out on your ear." 

"Tired of _fighting_, Seifer. If I thought I could get you to leave me alone by throwing you off this deck right now, I'd do it. But what would be the point? You'd just float right back up and we'd be back where we started." 

"Big mouth, squirt," snarled Seifer. 

"Grow the fuck up already, Seifer," said Squall tiredly, watching the ocean roll by beneath the deck. "I'm just finishing some unfinished business. That's all. You want me gone, and I want to be gone. We're in agreement - so go away." 

"And these godlings of yours? What're you going to do about them? Leave them for your friends to take care of?" 

"They're going with me. Look for them in about ten years or so - we'll return them to the world when we're sure they won't blow it up. If Rinoa can grow to handle the power of a Sorceress, these six can handle the power of one permanent junction." _I hope._

Somewhat to his surprise, Seifer came up beside him, leaned against the deck's outer wall-rail. "What's it like?" he asked. 

Squall turned to him, eyebrows raised. 

"Having kids," clarified Seifer. "I've been wondering - just recently, with Fujin and all. What's it like?" 

Squall returned his gaze to the rolling ocean. "I'm probably not the best person to ask," he said slowly. 

"None of the others have kids," said Seifer. "Zell will never see his. Don't have anyone else I _can_ ask - and I wouldn't ask _them_ anyway." 

"When they manage to leave certain topics alone, they're great," said Squall slowly. "They seem to like me, and I don't mind being around them as much as I thought I would." He kept his eyes on the horizon as he finished his thought. "If I'd had any say in their being born...if I'd been around them from the beginning...I could see it being a lot more." He shrugged. "It hurts to look at them - especially the twins. But...I don't think I'd want to undo their being born, even so. Does that help?" 

Seifer turned to study him, frowning. "Yeah, I think it does. You've known them, what - two days? And I have a pretty good idea how they came to be, and you seem to like them anyway. _You_ like them. Yeah, I think it helps. See you in eternity, Squall." and Seifer left the deck, leaving Squall feeling vaguely surprised that a fight hadn't erupted. Time seemed to help some wounds, at least. 

But there was at least one more visitor to expect, and he waited patiently until she appeared. Quistis, Headmaster of Garden, heeled boots clicking lightly against the decking. 

"Squall, do you enjoy causing me pain?" came her quiet voice, unchanged since the last time he'd heard it. "You walk around Garden like a living memory." 

"It's only the guest wing, and it won't be for much longer, Quistis," he said softly. "Irvine's holding my place, but he can't do it for very long. I'm going to talk to Ma Dincht, and then I'm going home. There's no way I could stay here long without the rest of Garden finding out about it, anyway, uniform or not." 

"Was Garden ever your home?" she asked, joining him on the rail. Her hair was down tonight, long blond strands twirled slightly in the breeze of Garden's movement. 

"I lived here," said Squall simply. Quistis nodded as though that were an answer. 

"You're more open than you were, but still so closed in, Squall." 

"Even Rinoa can't work miracles, Quistis. Should I be other than who I am?" 

Quistis laughed. "No, I suppose not. You don't think I'd understand, is that it? Squall, I always understood you. I just never knew you." 

"Probably not," agreed Squall. 

"These children, Squall. Will you give them your name? I need to know, for Garden's records. Even if they don't stay here." 

Squall considered the question. "No, I don't think so," he said. "I care about them...but..." he shook his head slowly. "I...just want to save that for Rinoa, if we ever manage to have children between us." 

Quistis smiled. "Quite conservative of you, Squall. I would have thought you to be the last person to care about bastardy." 

"It's not that," said Squall with a touch of temper. "It's just...I _didn't_ get any say in their being born. It wasn't my choice that they exist, in any way. I care about them, and I don't want them hurt..." one fist slammed down on the deck wall in frustration. "But my name I will not give them. They have my blood. That's enough." 

Quistis' teasing expression softened. "I understand, Squall. You want something that they can't take from you, is that it? These children were stolen from you, taken against your will. So if you give them your name, then they've taken that too - right?" 

"Yes," said Squall. 

"That still leaves open what name you _will_ give them. They are yours, after all." 

"You were better in language classes than I was," said Squall. "Recognize where their names come from?" 

"Oh yes," chuckled Quistis. "Trabian dialect, isn't it? It was so hard not to smile. I'm surprised Selphie hasn't twigged to it yet." She thought about it a moment, still smiling, and said, "Yes, that will do nicely. As long as they stay out of Trabia, anyway. Do you want their name to mean 'Lionheart'?" 

"No," said Squall. "That's just giving them my name all over again." 

Quistis thought a moment. "How about 'of the lion'? You're really not going to get away with something that doesn't have anything to do with you, you know." 

Squall sighed. "I know. There's somebody...in eternity...who's probably going to try and take my ears for this, but it's better than nothing." 

"Don't worry about the opinions of the dead, Squall," laughed Quistis. "It's not like they can hurt you." 

Squall just gave her a level look. "If and when you meet the guy I'm talking about, if you still hold that opinion I'll respect it. Until then, leave it." 

"Ab Llew it is, then. It's short, at least." She reached over, greatly daring, and put a hand on his arm. "Don't worry about them, Squall. Whatever name you give them, they'll do you proud." And with that she left him, boots clicking quietly on the hallway tiles. 

_I wish I could believe that,_ thought Squall to the empty night. He waited a while longer, and when it was evident that no further visits would be forthcoming, he made his way down to the Dormitory. 

Tomorrow he would have to speak to Ma Dincht. Zell had been quite specific in speaking with Griever, what it was that he wanted her to take care of for the little one on the way. So Squall wended his way down to the SeeD wing, grateful that it was full of either absent or sleeping SeeDs, and punched in the code to unlock Zell's room - gained from Zell, through Griever. 

The room was _neat_; it was amazing. Squall had no trouble locating the things he had been directed to take; a large, jagged earring in the pattern of the blackflame tattoo (Zell had used it as a template, but never wore it), the stack of combat magazines, and a locked black box that held his journal. Listening carefully to Griever's instructions, Squall located the hidden compartment in the ceiling tiles where the key to the box was hidden, and added that to the pile. 

Not a lot, for a lifetime of work. But then, SeeDs generally didn't go in much for possessions. Squall put together a student box (most cadets and SeeDs kept a supply of flattened boxes under their beds, for a variety of reasons) and put the small collection inside, then hefted it to his shoulder and locked the room behind him as he left. The rest of Zell's goods were apparently covered under contingency messages. 

He put the box on his too-soft, too-large guest bed, and slept on the floor, listening to Rinoa's giggles in his thoughts until he fell asleep. 


	19. Coda

Quistis agreed to watch over the six children while Squall went with Bella into Balamb. She was officially on leave now, her belongings in a trunk in the back of the rental car. Squall would have walked, but he could hear Irvine's patience fraying within Griever, and knew that he shouldn't take any more time than he needed. 

Bella had been frankly shocked that Squall intended to go with her - and more, that he would carry the news. It went against everything she'd heard about him. 

Squall knew why he was going. Despite Griever's teasing, he had always thought of relationships in terms of debt; they owed you, or you owed them. 

Zell, being by nature a very giving person, had managed to leave Squall deeply in his debt. The two of them had never quite understood each other; Squall had done things for Zell because he felt he owed them to him - and Zell had done things for Squall because he thought Squall was his friend, and took Squall's return favors as proof. 

Had either of them tried to explain the relationship to anyone else, the laughter would have brought the house down. 

And yet - now, Squall understood that Zell had been right. They were friends - always had been friends, albeit of a rather odd sort. Squall's mental tally of debt and favor had been his way of keeping himself at a distance, but it hadn't really worked. 

His trip today was a little of both; on a debt tally it would cancel a lot - nobody wanted to be the one to tell a loving mother that her son was dead. But he wasn't really going because of that. Zell had managed, through the cadet years, to keep Squall sane - just by being who he was. And that wouldn't have been possible, had he not also been Squall's friend. 

When they reached the Dincht's house, Bella stood back and let Squall take the lead; he knew her best, and Bella was still rather shy around strangers. She opted to carry the small box of things Zell had instructed to be given to his mother. 

He knocked on the door, and Ma Dincht answered it with some surprise, squinting fiercely. Squall picked up the clarification from Zell, via Griever; Ma Dincht was slowly going blind. At least it meant he wouldn't be teased for looking eighteen still. 

"Why, it's you, Squall, isn't it?" she said. "I haven't seen you in a long time, but of course you're always welcome." She looked around. "Didn't Zell come with you?" 

Squall closed his eyes briefly. "No," he said. "Would it be all right if we came in, Ma Dincht? There's some things I have to tell you..." 

In the end, Squall ended up being fiercely hugged by a bawling Ma Dincht, and tried desperately not to panic. She latched on to Squall as if he were Zell's brother and not just his friend, and Squall was so completely at a loss as to what to do that he ended up asking Griever to help. Griever suggested finishing the story and telling Ma Dincht about Bella. When he did, the two women latched on to each other, but neither cried as fiercely. 

Squall opted to take a short fresh-air break outside. The emotional atmosphere in the house was charged enough to give him the shakes. 

_Should I ask where Zell is right now?_ he asked. 

**Zell is watching Bella cry her eyes out,** said Griever. **He does no better with crying women than you do - be grateful he can only see Bella, and not his mother.**

_Already am,_ said Squall with honest relief. _I know how it feels, Rinoa. I remember seeing you cry in the Infirmary._ There had been no greater pain than to see Rinoa collapsed into a weeping huddle, crying as though her heart had broken, and he unable to do a single thing to comfort her. No - he did not envy Zell right now. 

He waited patiently until the storm of sobbing within the house had calmed - probably more due to exhaustion than anything else - and went back inside. Once again, Bella seemed to have completely misjudged his reserve - but thankfully Ma Dincht already knew his ways from years past. 

It didn't take long to get matters arranged; yes, Ma wanted SeeD to give her son a funeral. Yes, she would be more than happy to have Bella stay with her until the baby was born. And yes, she would take the things that they had brought, and save them for said baby. 

_Now? _he asked Griever. 

**Yes.**

Squall turned to Bella. "You don't want to keep the ring," he said, and saw her grimace. 

"I want Zell to see the baby," she said. "But no, I don't like your ring." 

Squall nodded. "If I were to give you something else that had the same effect - would you take it?" 

"What did you have in mind?" Bella was almost hostile now. 

Squall shrugged. "Earrings," he said. "Small, unobtrusive. Griever offers you three pairs of earrings - for yourself, for Ma Dincht, and for the baby. So Zell can see you all. It asks that you consider the earrings part of a pool - that when Ma Dincht dies, or if one of the others needs one, you give it to them." 

"One of the others?" 

"Of the orphanage," explained Squall. "If, for example, Selphie and Irvine had children and needed an earring for that child. You see?" 

"Yes, I see," said Bella, a little coldly. "Why not just make lots of extra pairs though?" 

"Because Griever's power is limited. It will take power to make them. Will you wear them, look after them so that they're not lost?" It wasn't strictly true - but Bella wouldn't want the full truth; that they were Sorceress tokens and could be used against a Sorceress...though Rinoa was making sure their capacity for mischief would be as small as possible. 

"Yes," said Bella. 

_All right then,_ thought Squall. It felt very strange, doing this with Irvine in his head - but there was no other way. He put his hands together in a closed cup shape, closed his eyes and opened his mind to Griever - letting the Guardian Force possess him for a moment. 

If he had trusted Irvine one jot less, he would have refused. There was no greater fear in him than losing control of his body, of having another intelligence in his thoughts; Alicia's power had scarred him badly. But Griever did only what they had agreed it would do - extend its sorcerous power through Squall's hands, making half a dozen tiny diamond earrings. Then it withdrew, leaving Squall feeling very tired and with a monstrous headache. He took a seat and held out the earrings. 

"There you go," he said quietly. "And for the love of Hyne don't lose them." _I'm not doing that again, guys,_ he told Griever. _The rest can damn well wait until Ma Dincht dies._

_Just can't trust me, can you Squall, _came Irvine's voice, but he was laughing. 

Once he'd gotten his breath back, and could be sure his legs wouldn't wobble as he walked, Squall took Griever from Bella and took his leave. He never had grieved the way other people did, even before his visit to eternity. He'd learned that at such times, his presence was not pleasing to other people. They seemed to take it personally when he didn't cry. 

The drive back to Garden was very quiet. 

* * * * * * * * *

Selphie and Quistis let Seifer, Fujin, and Raijin know what was going on - somewhat to Squall's surprise. So the group was large enough that Quistis simply ordered everyone out of the Quad for two hours. 

The posse seemed remarkably neutral toward Squall, all ghosts left in their graves. Seifer had decided that Squall was not his enemy - therefore he was not the posse's enemy either. _Why_ Seifer had come to that conclusion Squall neither knew nor cared. Perhaps it was just because Squall had gotten him back into Garden, so many years ago. 

The six children were also waiting, alert but still. They'd picked up very quickly that they might have magic, but SeeDs had weapons and the training to use them, and more than a few had magic on top of it. Squall was just grateful none of them had needed any 'demonstrations' while he'd been in Balamb - though Daear looked a little more surly than usual. 

"This is a long goodbye, isn't it," said Quistis. 

"Not really," said Squall. "Irvine can Dream - he can probably bring you all with him, if you want him to. You'd lose your rest a few nights, since you don't have his gift, but you can do it. And we will always know where you are." He turned to Seifer. "You wanted to know about Guardian Forces. Should we expect you also?" 

Seifer looked surprised briefly. "Yeah," he said after a moment. "Yeah, I'd like to see that. See how the others besides you and Bahamut are." 

Squall just nodded. "Then...until then." He closed his eyes, and said, _Rinoa, bring me home._

Rinoa's being flooded into him, lifting him out of himself - even as he felt Irvine passing him, going the other way. From him, Squall sensed unbounded relief to be getting back where he wanted to be - and have his head more or less to himself again. From Squall, Irvine sensed joy - so great that Irvine promised himself he wasn't going to tell anyone about it. It'd get way too personal. 

To everyone else, it just seemed that Squall's form began to glow, and when the light faded Irvine stood in his place - looking a bit battered, as he had when he'd gotten out of Felian's hands. Selphie immediately ran to him and gave him a hug, giving him back Exeter in the process. He hugged her back for a moment, then put her down. 

"Hang on Sefie, show's not over yet." He turned to the kids. "You guys are about to see a genuine, honest-to-Hyne magic kingdom. Don't get too spooked by the trip, okay?" He moved a little way away from Selphie, then pointed at the children and said "Shockwave Pulsar!" 

Griever appeared, rising from a white circle on the ground, wings spread. It threw out one great clawed hand, and white bands of energy surrounded the six children. Then it pulled them into its world, vanishing with them. 

"Um....aren't they supposed to come back dead after you do that?" asked Selphie. 

"You can tell Griever not to kill, same as any other GF," said Irvine. "It's just that generally - why bother summoning a GF if you aren't going to kill with it? Now - there's one last thing I'm supposed to do, then we can get on with the funeral." 

He held up his hand, where Griever rested. "Someone's got to carry this. I'll take the junction, but it's not safe to keep them together - if the person holding the junction dies, Griever returns to the ring, and we need to make sure we don't lose that GF." 

The group shared uneasy glances. Irvine didn't need it to talk to the dead, or to the GFs - all he had to do was wait until bedtime. But he was the only one to remember the family he had lost, too. It was too much Squall's possession, even after all this time, for any of them to want it. 

The silence was broken by Seifer. "Give it here, cowboy," he said. "I'll take it." 

"You?" asked Quistis, surprised. 

Seifer nodded, a hint of his usual smirk on his face. "Yeah, me. Who else? With this mission under my belt, I'm next in line for Commander; you guys have given Xu her last headache, and she's going to drop it on me. This'll make a great Commander's ring - and that'll keep it in Garden, where it belongs." 

"She told you before asking us?" asked Selphie, eyes wide. "Ooooh, I am _so_ gonna have a talk with her before she leaves the job." 

Quistis said nothing, but something in the set of her face agreed. "Congratulations," she said quietly. "I'll approve it; you're not my favorite person but you'll do better in the job than Xu has. She was never meant to be a long-term Commander in the first place." 

* * * * * * * * *

The funeral of Zell Dincht, SeeD Rank 20, was a very quiet affair in the Quad, SeeD in general not having much use for the ceremony. Ma Dincht and Bella cried most of the time, but his friends were less upset. 

It wasn't that they weren't sorry he was dead. They all missed him. It was just that they knew he was not beyond their reach, that they could talk to him whenever they chose, and this made it bearable. Bella would not be able to visit Zell for eight more months - the group having decided that trying to go out of body while pregnant was just pushing one's luck - and Ma Dincht could not be told about eternity at all, so those two felt the loss more keenly. 

Zell and Squall leaned against a wall, idly trading comments. Zell was still easily upset by the sight of his mother and girlfriend crying, but he was learning to adjust. Squall was giving him edited highlights of the speeches, as seen through Irvine's eyes. 

"Trust Seifer to bring up that old story," said Squall at one point. "He must've chosen it because he knew you would be listening." 

"Yeah, well, he can say what he likes," said Zell. "Ma knew better. Besides - by the look on her face, he's gonna get whacked with her purse once this is over." 

"I am sorry about that one," said Squall distantly. "When I chose that defense, I didn't think it'd affect you the way it did." 

"Why be sorry now?" shrugged Zell. "In the end it didn't change anything." 

Squall just shook his head, the ghost of a smile on his lips. "You misunderstand. I never understood why gender mattered so damn much to people. There's little enough love in the world to go setting criteria like that. One of the reasons I stuck with my gear even after I saw how it affected you was because I didn't want someone who couldn't see past it." 

"Rinoa never minded, that's for sure," said Zell. 

Squall just leaned against the wall, arms across his chest, the ghostly smile still playing around the corners of his mouth. "No, she doesn't, Zell. But don't ever go thinking I'm the only one who can be blind." He vanished then - probably back to his own place, Zell thought. Rinoa had practically thrown him with Zell for the past few days - both to help Zell adjust to his new existence, and so that she could get to know his children. Zell had laughed himself silly when Daear had tried to lord it over Rinoa by using her gravity power - and discovered that in Griever's realm, Griever controlled gravity. Rinoa had been quite thorough in educating Daear about subtle uses of power. 

He didn't stay alone long, though. Laguna appeared, looking roughly twenty four years old, in his favorite old blue jacket. "I thought I'd wait until he'd gone," he said with a grin. 

"Why?" asked Zell. 

"Well, for one, I don't think he'd have said what he did if I'd been around," said Laguna. "Not that I didn't hear anyway, of course. I just waited up on the steps, out of sight." 

Zell grinned. "Don't you two get along _yet_?" 

Laguna laughed. "Oh, since those six hellcats showed up he's been much easier to deal with," he said. "Nothing like a little 'what comes around goes around' to straighten his thinking out. No, we're fine. Raine has been having a blast with them. No, what I meant was, Squall wouldn't have said something quite so heartfelt if he'd known there were witnesses around." 

"Calling me blind is heartfelt?" said Zell. "Well, okay - maybe from Squall it _is_. I'd hate for him to use an insult he didn't mean." 

Laguna just laughed again. "Zell, have you ever heard Squall say the word 'love' to anyone?" 

"Well, just now I did. But I think he was apologizing." 

Laguna's green eyes twinkled. "Zell - oh, nevermind. Let's go for hot dogs." 


End file.
